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howwoolatthemoon's review against another edition
5.0
Ooooooof this book is so compelling and absolutely heartbreaking all at the same time. It's two timelines, popping back and forth, intertwined - the present, and Chicago in the 80s. Makkai figures out how to reveal things in the right order, despite the timeline changes, and make it all feel so natural. I would recommend this book to anybody and everybody - except those who had to live through this particular time in history - it's about a friend group made up of mostly gay men living through the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. And by "had to live through this time," I don't mean those who were merely alive at the time it happened. I mean those who were IN it, and anyone who has lived as gay man in the years since. It's beyond tragic how many lives were lost, and how many ways these men were made to feel like garbage. I lived in this time, as a child, in the 80s. I vaguely knew some about AIDS at the time. This book hooked me from the start with great storytelling, and really opened my eyes to the details of day to day life and death (although that's not the only topic it covers).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Chronic illness, Death, Alcoholism, Bullying, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Self harm, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol
leah_alexandra's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a wonderful and heartbreaking book. You have to know going in that it is sad, and you will cry if you're someone who cries while reading, but don't let that put you off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
lilliemanvel's review
emotional
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
I dunno if I’ll ever get over this story or my heart-full and heart-break. It’s just incredible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, and Grief
Minor: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Genocide, and Religious bigotry
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