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mbmayo's review
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book definitely isn't for everybody. Personally, I wished I were the type of reader to annotate because there were some real gems that I would have liked to think about and pick apart later. I found Lacey's prose beautiful and the stream of consciousness style writing helped me understand the emotional state of the character.
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Deportation, Blood, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Deadnaming
waytoomanybooks's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I read this back-to-back with Everything I Never Told You, and they're incredibly similar, and I have the same issues with both of them. They both ooze "I'm 14, and this is deep." Like yes, there are a lot of gold nuggets of truth and interesting imagery, but it's not really saying anything. The main characters in both novels do a lot of thinking, but that's it. No growth, no change, and no hint that they're even headed in the direction of growth or change. The book has beautiful prose, but it's 100 pages longer than it needs to be, and I should've dumped it instead of finishing it. In fairness though, no one made me power through, and I think the quality of writing is better than the quality of plot and character development.
Graphic: Medical content, Abandonment, Suicide, Blood, Child death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Confinement, Mental illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt
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