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saltycoffee'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Moderate: Grief, Murder, and War
anapthine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abortion, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Eating disorder, Blood, Stalking, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Antisemitism, and Murder
vikkom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I thought this book was going to be about this random lady Marian Graves attempting a north-south circumnavigation, and the fictional actress Hadley being fascinated and throwing herself into the history of Marian in preparation for the role. The book is about that, but I'd say that it's only about 10% that.
The rest of the book is about Marian Graves, and the people she loved and loved her, from before birth, to death; it is about Hadley, the starlet, and her journey with the pressures of hollywood, acting, falling in lust, and being... drawn to Marian and also knowing and feeling uncomfortable with the fact that the Marian she is playing is almost entirely reconstructed.
This book paints the sweeping arc of Marian's life, and the lives of the people that were most important to her. It deals with feeling multiple, contradictory feelings at once; it deals with estrangement from people you love; it deals with loving people and yet hating them; it deals with queer love in the 40s and 50s; it deals with the what-could-have-beens while acknowledging that sequences of events have a certain inevitability and circularity; and overall, it deals with the messy and complex and less-than-idyllic ways that humans connect. Lives are lived, opportunities are lost. People die. We go on.
N.B. one thing I would say though, is that it took me over half of the book (no small feat, it's a solid 300 pages) to actually get *into* the story. I think mainly because I wasn't expecting a grand sweeping whole-of-life tale, but the book comes around in a nice circle, once I realised that was what it was.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, and Blood
Minor: Child death and Abortion
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Marian is such a strong and determined protagonist but her life really is dominated by struggle.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and War
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Child death
chameleonhound'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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism and Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
sib_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Incest, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Excrement, and Pregnancy
autlinbustler'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
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and War
nicoles_reading_corner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, and Abortion
baguettegay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It wasn’t all bad; I think the two lives that Marian and Hadley both led existing as parallels was brilliant. I just think the time jumps were weird and it took me 100+ pages to feel any sort of connection to either story line.
I also take off stars when there are unnecessary assault scenes (not one, not two, but too many.) There are plenty of other ways to make a point without detailing something so incredibly horrific on more than one occasion.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Rape