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beks_gail's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
But for a YA book had too much smut.
Graphic: Sexual content, Eating disorder, Addiction, Death, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicide
Moderate: Grief, Sexual content, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Vomit
attolis's review
4.25
Moderate: Mental illness and Suicide attempt
Minor: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief
wardenred's review
- 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
You’re a kid. Be lost. Ask questions. Be safe but stupid. Listen.
This is such a difficult book to review, even though I loved it to bits. It feels more like an experience or a mood than a story even though it most definitely has a plot, and character arcs, and all the other things that make a sequence of events and feelings book-shaped. Somehow, it reminded me a lot of when I was the characters' age, even though I faced completely different emotions, struggles, and situations. I can't say I was ever like Violet, or Liv, or any of the characters, but I still got caught remembering how I was just as confused and struggling to make sense of life and trying to shuffle through versions of myself to find one that didn't suck.
This is a story of families, and grief, and how it's not only the dead you can grieve for; of making sense of mental illness in the family and in your head; of learning to build connections; of letting go; of being a mess; of getting out of the mess you've made; of looking into the past to find the future; of shipwreck-hunting; of diving too deep and finding a way out. It's written in beautiful, beautiful prose, it contains some of the most hauntingly, viivdly engrossing snapshots of being by the sea I've encountered in literature since Ruthanna Emrys's Winter Tide, and a love triangle that actually makes sense.
It feels like being on the cusp of growing up: bittersweet and confusing and painful, and also full of wonder you don't immediately recognize. I wish I had books like this when I was that age.
Graphic: Grief and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicide attempt
ixris's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Drug use, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Sexual content, Medical content, and Drug abuse
Minor: Blood and Injury/Injury detail
ashliebysmashliereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was interesting. I found the main character pretty insufferable, but also the portrayal of anxiety attacks incredibly realistic. It was interesting to be inside the brain of an asshole teen girl who is the "okay" sibling in a set of kids when compared to a brother with depression, eating disorders, and suicidal ideation.
Every time I started to really enjoy it, Violet would do something or say something obnoxious again. Idk. It was worth it. I won't reread
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
meaghancook's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, and Death
Minor: Vomit
fairylightreads's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Grief
lilifane'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
4.0
A small coastal town, family history, mystery and adventure, a treasure hunt, sibling dynamics, a friends group, LGBTQIA representation. And I really really enjoyed the majority o the book. The main character went through some hard hitting things and made some questionable decisions, but I still enjoyed reading from her perspective.
I was disappointed by the last quarter of the book, though. The plot didn't really progress, and then it was suddenly over, but the ending took half an eternity to conclude. Weird pacing and I get the focus was on some important topics, but still, the rest was just forgotten somehow.
But yeah, still liked and enjoyed the majority and the atmosphere was perfect for a summer read.
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Drug use, and Homophobia
brookey8888's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Outing, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
nmcannon's review
I wasn't in the right place to read this book. Both in terms what happening in my life this year and in terms of my expectations going in. Going by the blurb, I was expecting a Twelfth Night retelling with some light personal reflections and, overall, a romantic beach read. Nope. Last True Poets of the Sea is nowhere near a heartwarming comedy! More to my own fault, I thought this was an Adult book, and teenagers going through these heavy, intense mental health troubles squicked me out at times. Heed the content warnings! They're not kidding with this one!
To the book's credit, it's indeed beautifully written. On a sentence level, the novel is ornate without being overwrought, and the teenage voice is believable. Friends noted that their teenage selves would have appreciated this book so much.
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Car accident, Biphobia, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, and Suicide attempt