Scan barcode
baileyes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Suicide, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Cancer, Animal death, Violence, Child death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, and Abandonment
the_kristin_amber's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Told in woven narratives this novel is elegant yet very dark. I couldn't put it down but wished I could.
Graphic: Suicide, Pandemic/Epidemic, Grief, Chronic illness, Child death, and Death
musicalpopcorn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed the first half of this book more than I enjoyed the second half, but overall I liked the whole thing. The kind of dark surrealist stories about euthanasia parks and talking pigs were much more interesting to me than the ones that by contrast seemed like normal family dramas. I found all of the stories compelling however I also found that having every single main character feeling detached from their family got a little old after a while and made them feel like the same character every single time.
This was a unique book with a one of a kind outlook on humanity. How it managed to be both so dark and depressing to ultimately hopeful was very well done.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Cancer, Stalking, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, and Grief
foldingthepage_kayleigh'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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Grief, and Classism
sshabein'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? It's complicated
4.5
Weirdly paired well with having just read Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park and also The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, even though they have vastly different plots, but the speculative nature of all three makes me feel like they are a part of the same universe, all reacting to larger forces in the world that we may or may not be fully aware of.
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Animal death, Child death, and Pandemic/Epidemic
sgrunwald96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Cancer, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
jalexand'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death, Child death, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Chronic illness
ariep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Racism, Classism, and Medical content
Minor: Pregnancy
jesssicawho'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Some stories spoke to me more than others. Some parts were ridiculous (like the
I need to take away half a star because the Easter eggs that connect the story/characters are a little too subtle and too easily missed. Because we only witness a small moment in each character’s life, it was hard to remember the nuances about each one in the end. I could reread this book and pick up on the connections a second time, but with so many books to read I don’t think this is worth a second pass for that reason alone.
Really creative and moving, I’m glad I read this.
Graphic: Death, Child death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
em_the_wallflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
Graphic: Child death, Grief, Terminal illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Chronic illness, and Medical content