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bertolino's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought this book was a beautiful look into the Chicago AIDS crisis. That being said it was slow. I had to force myself to get through the first 75% of the book.
newobhannah's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
fantasig's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
juliej0715's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book. It was a slow start for me, but I also read it in super small chunks at first so it was hard to keep people straight. About 1/3 in, it really picked up and I couldn't stop thinking about it and reading it. It's so sad yet perpetually full of hope and love and friendship and caring, and reflecting on what's important in life. It was so good I want to read it again. I wish there were more books exactly like this one. I also loved it being set in boystown (now northalsted) Chicago and knowing all the places they were going around Lakeview and the city. Just so good overall.
Content Warnings
Minor: Police brutality, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Grief, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, and Medical content
da_bos's review against another edition
4.0
Moving, gut wrenching, and rather well written, with an intricate plot and mostly characters.
But damn, I so wish Yale had made it (even though I understand that the novel wouldn’t have worked if he had).
There were a couple of things I’m not so sure about: Old Fiona doesn’t seem to me to be a believable evolution from young Fiona, no matter the trauma of Nico’s and then Yale’s deaths. Yale having an HIV scare that drives him close to the brink, and then hooking up unthinkingly with Roman, whose “innocence” he curiously doesn’t question despite his experience with Charlie (which caused the HIV scare to begin with).
Other than that, though, well done.
P.S. I “read” the first half as an audiobook, and that, too, I can highly recommend. The reader is fantastic. (I’d go as far as saying that I enjoyed the audiobook a bit more than the written version.)
But damn, I so wish Yale had made it (even though I understand that the novel wouldn’t have worked if he had).
There were a couple of things I’m not so sure about: Old Fiona doesn’t seem to me to be a believable evolution from young Fiona, no matter the trauma of Nico’s and then Yale’s deaths. Yale having an HIV scare that drives him close to the brink, and then hooking up unthinkingly with Roman, whose “innocence” he curiously doesn’t question despite his experience with Charlie (which caused the HIV scare to begin with).
Other than that, though, well done.
P.S. I “read” the first half as an audiobook, and that, too, I can highly recommend. The reader is fantastic. (I’d go as far as saying that I enjoyed the audiobook a bit more than the written version.)
besidemyshelf's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
mgilhart's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
thisiscourt's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
dixiecarroll's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
not sure what to say except that this should be required reading & im not sure I’ll see the day where it becomes that. I’m crying at 1:30am even though I knew what would happen. I think I’ll be crying for a long time. The hope and fear and grief and terror were so real that I felt it in my bones and my heart. This is an incredible story about the AIDS crisis that shows the total devastation that occurred to an entire generation and how it still affects the survivors today. It’s heavy, but it’s so worth it. These people are so real to me now that I cannot believe it was fiction.
ssolov's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Medical content, Infidelity, and Homophobia
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Dementia
Minor: Vomit