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literarylion's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
- All-around well-crafted
- Interesting take on climate disaster
- Strong character development and establishment of POV
- A bit derivative of other authors and stories (general dystopia)
- I had trouble orienting myself in the setting for the first quarter or so
- Felt rushed towards the end
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
reesuz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment
skipabeat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence and Violence
Moderate: Blood
kallan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Blood, and Alcohol
luise96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Violence, and Death of parent
deedireads'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
TL;DR REVIEW:
A Children’s Bible was a strange read, but no doubt masterful. Short, unsettling, and apocalyptic, I can see why it was a National Book Award contender.
For you if: You like literary and/or apocalyptic novels.
FULL REVIEW:
I picked up A Children’s Bible because it was longlisted for the National Book Award. While I wouldn’t quite call it a fun read, I can absolutely appreciate its mastery and resonance, and I’m glad I read it.
The story is about a group of children whose wealthy families have gathered in a big country house for the summer. The kids are unsettlingly mature (which is more of a story device than realistic, but is actually really interesting in the way it positions their partying parents as less irresponsible — particularly given the book’s focus on climate change and impending disaster). Then a storm blows through, and what’s essentially the end of the world begins.
It’s a super-short novel at only about 200 pages, and it’s extremely unsettling, but written in a detached, x-ray like style that’s also really effective. All in all, a fascinating read from a literary perspective, and I can definitely see why some people thought it might win the Pulitzer.
Pick this one up if you like weird, literary books!
Graphic: Animal death and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Violence, and Alcohol
imds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
laurenmcnamara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
knkoch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Most of the characters weren’t highly detailed, besides the central 3-4, though that might be intentional. This is a book set within several large, roving groups of both adults and teenagers, and individuals are often being lost and found. The thematic links to the parables of the Bible were at times tricky for me, as I’m not the most well versed, but I was pleasantly surprised at where the plot took me. It was quite hard to predict most moments.
The author did well to write from a young person’s perspective, even though it was hard to tell the age of the narrator. I get a sense that such de-individuation (in age and personality) was intentional, both to link the characters to their archetypal origins and force the reader to think in terms of groups, rather than individuals. They seem to represent humanity as a whole?
Overall, interesting, funny, and thought-provoking.
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Death of parent
This is not a calming read. It’s a somewhat dystopian projection of climate change apocalypse.internationalreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, and Death of parent
The “R” word is used to describe a character with a presumed intellectual disability in a very not-ok way