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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Though this was fiction, it could have easily been a true story. Jodi did a beautiful job of capturing the nuance of bullying, the chaos of mass shootings, and the immense duality of parenting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Second time I read this book and still invoked the same fear and helplessness in me as it did the first time.
How can we protect our children, yet let them learn how to fight and adapt themselves?
Attributes that make them despised as teenagers, would be useful for them when they are thirtyfive but what could they do in between?
It seemed that while parents want their children to stand out and think of themselves special because of that, are the exact reasons they can be bullied and hated in school. Adolescents are about fitting in, not standing out.
How can we protect our children, yet let them learn how to fight and adapt themselves?
Attributes that make them despised as teenagers, would be useful for them when they are thirtyfive but what could they do in between?
It seemed that while parents want their children to stand out and think of themselves special because of that, are the exact reasons they can be bullied and hated in school. Adolescents are about fitting in, not standing out.
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Wow. Such a complex book. There is so much to talk about and consider in this book. I think Jodi does a great job at telling the story from all sides and makes it really hard to not empathize with all sides a little bit even ones that society tells you that you shouldn’t empathize with at all because they are villians or it is unforgivable act (which it might be but it’s also more complex than that). Things often aren’t black or white and there is more to what drives people than what people see pin the outside—they are in fact very complex sometimes. That being said, I felt like the ending was lacking. The beginning was so strong and we had so much to think about and consider and then it seemed like the ending just ended flatly. Still definitely a book I will recommend people to read because it raises a lot of questions and makes you look at situations differently but I just wanted a more dramatic ending…or just something more at the end…but that could also be intentional because life doesn’t always work out how we want…
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Definitely had a lot of emotions while reading this book cried a few times throughout. Overall it was good but a little slow and the ending was not really what I expected and kinda let down by it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have very complicated feelings about this book. It was very captivating - I was constantly wanting to continue reading it. However, I think some of the dramatization took away from the tragedy. The ending seemed to be for shock value and honestly seemed to disservice the story and characters. The queer themes were hard to read, but I’ll give it a pass since it was 2007. Picoult writes such complex characters, I just feel like some things missed the mark in this one.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes