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itsbumley'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: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
laurenkimoto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism
angel_kiiss'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
5.0
Out of all the “unhinged” women I’ve read, Edie feels the most real; she’s layered and complex, a nice girl and sometimes horrible person, she’s lovable but that is hidden beneath her antagonistic flaws.
Who hasn’t found themselves in love with someone before they realize it wasn’t ever really love. Who hasn’t been struck by the reality of a person only after you’ve dug yourself six feet for them.
I can’t believe this was a debit novel. Very few books have moved me this much, and even fewer gripped me like this from beginning to end.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, and Racism
mekaylynn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing, Eating disorder, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, and Sexual harassment
thesawyerbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The actual premise was intriguing - the commencing few chapters were not particularly enthralling, but the pace did pick up later on in the novel. The portrayal of nihilistic self-destructive sex was raw and ugly, knitted together in a web of nuanced discussions on race, sexuality, feminism and capitalism which I found very interesting and affecting. These are the parts that dragged this book up in its rating.
However, I overall found this to be quite a slog to get through. I powered through the final half in one sitting, and the concluding chapters were immaculately done. But in the end I wasn’t particularly enthralled or interested in Edie as a character.
I stand by my appreciation for Leilani’s prose, and I finish my review with this quote that I found powerful:
I am inclined to pray, but on principle, I don’t. God is not for women. He is for the fruit. He makes you want and he makes you wicked, and while you sleep, he plants a seed in your womb that will be born just to die.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
ansleyymoore'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: Cursing, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Abortion
sedgewren'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
3.0
However, the plot often felt like it was crafted to serve the descriptions the author wanted to write, rather than the other way around - perhaps this was what was intended, because the main character's actions often felt like they weren't under her control (which added to the sense of her drifting along in life), but her actions were often very frustrating to me. This book is very much more about the intense character portrait rather than the plot!
Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Abortion, and Death of parent
joanaprneves'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
3.75
All this while there is very little character development and no real incursion into the characters and their behaviour. The middle-aged characters have the most movie-cliche middle-age crisis, whereas the young twenty-something is critiqued for the instant-validation typical of her generation. Of course
Just like in Animal, this seems like a very well produced hit song lacking the depth of an indie first album.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Infertility, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
randisworld'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Blood
Lots of content warnings and not for survivors that may need to protect their peace. It’s a tough read.booksaremyabode'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
1.0
Moderate: Racism, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Suicide, Blood, and Pregnancy