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jeandie_leone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Outing
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Animal death
Minor: Cancer
dwdillydally's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
#youngadultfiction #mentalhealth #familydramafiction #slowromance #mildspicy #dwreads24
Finished my first Colleen Hoover book! I wasn't sure that I'd like her flavors (dark modern romance, dysfunctional characters), so I started with a title recommended for teens / young adults. When I say "for teens", this is NOT for tweens / preteens. Here are screenshots of the content warnings I tagged, and I'm happy to elaborate on any of them, if you ask.
Depsite alllllll the CWs listed, I do recommend this to the right teen or to us, non-trendy-readers who are Hoover-curious. If it's too much for you, then you probably won't enjoy Hoover's adult books
There were so many scenes where I was telling the 17yo main character, "Oh no honey, don't do that. Oh nnnnoo!" 🫣 But overall, this book is about family trauma and mental health - vital to talk about. It's meant to be f_<ed up. How bad can the main character's day-to-day life get before she turns a corner and starts unraveling the mess around her? For me, it was rough to read from the start through the middle, then I slowly came around, and by the end, I was rooting for the main character.
Graphic: Incest, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Self harm, Confinement, and Animal death
Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Cancer, Outing, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Eating disorder
kat_rowlen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Incest, Mental illness, and Animal death
brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was honestly messed up from start to finish. If you don’t like miscommunication or no communication, this isn’t for you. I just can’t get over the way they didn’t talk about anything. Also, the step uncle things really weird especially the ending when he’s actually with someone and he was been in the family for a while. Um, the weird kiss like I don’t care a 13 year old should know better. I don’t understand that. The relationship was cute and I really liked him. Moby was the best part of this book. This does deal with really heavy topics so be prepared(attempted suicide, depression, agoraphobia).
Graphic: Gaslighting, Outing, Incest, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Vomit, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Grief, Infidelity, Islamophobia, and Mental illness
petal_01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Vomit, Terminal illness, Incest, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
graff_fuller's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
We have a connection with books. We don't always agree with each other, but usually we "get" each other.
This book is about a dysfunctional family (Married with Children level) that don't communicate with each other. That's us in a way, but I have to say...we are NOT this bad. Promise.
They live in a church...which is divided into four partitions. Father/new wife, older son, Merit and Honor. Their's an office in there, too.
I liked the twin sisters storyline (Merit/Honor). They are are polar opposites in personality, Older brother that is aloof, Father/husband that seems spiteful and careless. His new wife lives on the first floor with their youngest son (and the rest of the family), while his ex-wife lives in the basement (but never comes up). Then add to the mix a friend named Sagan and a drifter who arrives at the house unannounced named Luck.
Also, the names in this book are very exotic. Utah, Merit, Honour, Moby, Barnaby, Victoria (twice), Sagan and Luck. Really? This is a menagerie of names. Not one that seems real.
The story deals with depression, and the struggles with a family that doesn't communicate, which complicates EVERYONEof their lives in individual ways..
This was FAST read. I immediately loved the protagonist, Merit. I knew that the title of the book would have significance (and it did). Also a great reveal towards the end of the book, well played.
I enjoyed the dynamic of the family, though it seemed a little TOO cartoonish, but by the middle of the book...I had been sucked in.
Odd characters would enter this familys orbit, but then find a home there...not just in the house, but they became intrical parts of the story.
By the end...a poingant story had been told. The problems with miscommunication and how dangerous that can be. AND that we need to find a friend...that will always have our back.
THis was an odd story, but i enjoyed it. Thanks Mathilde.
Moderate: Drug abuse, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
erica_reads_things's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Outing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness
Minor: Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Animal death, Cancer, Sexual content, and Infidelity
sarah_28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Toxic relationship
arthur_ant18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Sexual assault, Medical content, Outing, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Biphobia and Homophobia
saraellenme's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Animal death, and Medical trauma
Minor: War, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Toxic relationship