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oversherin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is incredibly violent and dark. You get right into the mind of the characters who are deeply troubled and hateful people who are wrecked by their environment. Chapters are long dark spirals into the depths of these characters and their darkest thoughts imaginable. Despite this, Melchor is very skilled in giving them just enough humanity that I empathized with them and wanted to stick it out to the end. As other reviewers have said, this book is deeply, disturbingly, honest in a way I have never read before. To me, the hardest part of this book is that most of the characters are children who are wrapped up in the worst of the world. The run-on prose took adjustment, but I found it very natural by middle.
Overall, I thought the story was compelling and timeless. I gritted my teeth through the whole book and had to scan some chapters because I just couldn't stomach it. However, I respect this book and the stories it's telling. There is more truth to this book than I'd like to face. It definitely affected me in an artful way.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Child abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Rape
amelietherin'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
5.0
Graphic: Homophobia, Addiction, Racism, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, Hate crime, Drug use, Infidelity, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
motherofbears's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I would say this is a challenging read, especially for someone not used to the writing style, but also because of the subject matter. All the trigger warnings, really.
It will stay with me for a while.
Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Animal cruelty, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Pregnancy
meghansolo's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Death, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Racism
elchivovivo'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
Each chapter is a single paragraph with little or no room for breathing.
Melchor changes narrative voices like a boxer delivers his punches. And yet, the story flows like water.
The language is pure, and i am curious to see how anyone could translate this dense, boiling, gulf- Mexican dialect into another language. Or even to see how a non-mexican spanish speaker would absorb all the local slang.
What wrenches the heart is that the story, the darkness, the characters, are all realistic (if not based on true people). It reflects the hopeless trajectory of our country, which in spite of its beauty and depth seems to be cosmically, cosmogonically thirsting for blood drawn with violence.
Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Outing, Infertility, Addiction, Abortion, Rape, Cursing, Racial slurs, Deadnaming, Child death, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Gore, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Misogyny
gansey_02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Abortion, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexism, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, and Mental illness
tessamoose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racism, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Infidelity, Drug use, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Incest, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Abortion, Grief, Gore, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Violence, Stalking, Sexual content, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Death, Bullying, Pedophilia, and Murder
kaiulanilee'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Alcohol, Racism, Rape, Transphobia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Police brutality
Moderate: Mental illness, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy and Classism
hexyy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual violence and Violence
enairabutcher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Cursing, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Addiction, and Death