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Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide attempt
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt
Dolores felt real to me. At moments I was rooting for her, hoping for her to get back on her feet and past her trauma, at other times I saw myself in so many facets of her: her own trauma, her self loathing and compulsive overeating, her violent swings between self preservation and self destruction. I saw myself in her healing journey too, how she needed to open herself up to others to receive the love she deserved. There are some ugly (spiritually) characters in many of Lamb’s novels, but these felt particularly heinous and contemptuous, and Lamb handles these characters and their motivations with acuity and hardness, but doesn’t glorify or indulge in the horrors they inflict.
If I had to pair a fiction and nonfiction duo of books, I would pair this with “The Body Keeps the Score”. I think that speaks more to how on the nose and sensitive Lamb is to a wide range of life struggles and how he’s able to communicate that entire range through his complicated narrator than any words I could put down.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, Lesbophobia
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy
- beautifully written. Didn't not enjoy most of the story. This novel follows Delores from a young age to her midthirties, with all the ups and downs of divorce, abuse, death, grief, and mental and physical health struggles. I enjoyed many of the side characters more than the main character, who was a little too weird for me. This is not an easy read if that's what you're looking for but does provide for good conversation. I may have been influenced but the narrator's voice since I listened but I don't know that I would have finished if I didn't.
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Death of parent
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence
Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt
Graphic: Rape, Abortion
Moderate: Suicide attempt