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nirima's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Grief, and War
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, and Outing
aurora9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I bought the book as an ebook shortly after reading the NYT review, as it hit a few key areas for me: LGBTQ+ storyline, boarding school, historical fiction. I did not anticipate it rousing as many feelings in me as it did, however. As a lifelong pacifist (who was very nearly physically ill watching the first 20 minutes of Saving Private Ryan, and who did not watch any further than that), the descriptions of carnage were at times difficult to stomach, and the way the author tied the characters and their development into the development of the war did get me more than a bit maudlin thinking of the very real lives lost in conflicts historical and contemporary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail