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mandi4886's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
applesaucecreachur's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexism
Minor: Child death, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
ashleycmms's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Murder
greenisthecolorofkale's review against another edition
5.0
needless to say, i've dragged myself back into reading the occasional memoir and i have to say, this book was an experience. it follows the author's life, jeannette walls, where it takes everything to get through life with an abusive alcoholic father and an absent mother who cared more about painting materials than putting food on the table.
i wasn't really sure how many stars to rate this, because i couldn't rate it based off the plot or character development. that was what really threw me reading this book, actually, that it didn't have a steady plotline throughout the book. it took me a while to get through it.
but holy shit, i am so glad i did because it is stunningly beautiful. walls recounts her life from an extremely young age of four (or three? i forget lol) up to her current experiences, and at times, i forgot that it was an autobiography.
jeannette walls weaves exquisite language in along with cold, hard events she struggled through and sucks you in with bone chilling detail. her story will make you feel emotions you never knew existed with your whole being.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Sexism, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
orlagal's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
wardenred's review against another edition
5.0
"Don't be sad, Mom. I'll write."
"I'm not upset because I'll miss you," Mom said. "I'm upset because you get to go to New York and I'm stuck here. It's not fair."
This memoir was completely engrossing and unputdownable—more than once, I felt compelled to put aside everything else in favor of reading it. It left me with a lot of emotion and a lot of puzzlement and honestly, the author's parents are just bizarre.
This is very firmly a family story. It can even be said that it's a story of endless optimism and unconditional love and free-spirited parents teaching their kids to see every problem or trouble life throws at them as an adventure. Except it's not the abstract, esoteric life that subjects these kids to problems and troubles. Pretty much every bit of pain they face—from a beloved pet thrown out of the car window, to being stuck for 14+ hours in the darkness forbidden to talk, to sinking repeatedly during impromptu swimming lessons, to being put on the verge of getting sexually assaulted, to all the problems that come with living in extreme poverty—all of it is of their parents' making.
Reading about this dysfunctional dynamic was fascinating, the same way particularly inventive horror movies can be fascinating. I guess I... have a lot of inspiration for creating lovable villains now?
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
alomie's review against another edition
4.5
This book took me a few evenings to read and I could not put it down.
It was shocking and sad but also a story of hope that no matter how bad things are you can get out and you can change the cycle.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Medical trauma