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nookatdusk's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Death, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Drug use, and Abortion
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
klwooster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Transphobia, Addiction, Police brutality, Rape, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual violence, Abortion, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Homophobia, Violence, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Drug use, Pedophilia, Murder, and Sexual assault
dogmp3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Incest, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Vomit, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Suicide, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Sexual content, Death, Drug use, and Rape
lowercase_a's review against another edition
4.5
O brilhantismo de Fernanda Melchor floresce em meio aos canaviais e o sol impiedoso de La Matosa, pedaço de terra e de gente esquecida pelo resto do mundo, pelos oito capítulos mais atordoantes que já li, um testemunho da desgraça alheia que é nossa, e o que torna esse romace assombração não é a perpétua condenação das mulheres entre si ou as cenas gráficas do fatídico assassinato ou sentir o desfazer dos personagens na palma de nossas mãos pela falta de dinheiro, pela vergonha, pelo ódio, pelas drogas, pela faca, pelo abandono, pelos punhos, pela culpa, pela ostrisização, pelo abuso, pela ignorância mas, o que torna o horror latente, é a compreensão visceral de que por traz (senão pela frente) de toda cidade latino-americana existe La Matosa e que essa desgraça nunca foi alheia, essa desgraça toda é nossa e por traz de toda garganta colonizada guarda um grito igual a voz deste livro: atroz e sanguinária.
Graphic: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Homophobia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Rape, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Police brutality
unboxedjack'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
2.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Child death, Cursing, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Rape, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Abortion, Death, Infidelity, and Sexual assault
romi98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abortion, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Violence, and Rape
torismazarine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Child death, Excrement, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Outing, Sexual assault, Torture, Abandonment, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Gun violence, Infertility, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism, Rape, Racism, Death, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
ecandrews0'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
3.75
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Racism, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Incest, Body shaming, Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Police brutality, Misogyny, Pedophilia, 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