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sjanke2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aeriecircus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying and Child abuse
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, and Abandonment
Minor: Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
pauli_alarcon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Genocide and Grief
lilandraws's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Doerr wrote the experiences of the main characters so elegantly and intricately that I was invested in their hobbies and interests like yes, Werner, tell me more about radios and soundwaves, yes, Marie, tell me more about mollusks. The way Marie-Laure described things were amazing and I might even prefer it to the regular way of describing things. Doerr also handled the topics of death and war so delicately; making us feel for and understand the Germany's side of the war but not diminishing the atrocities they committed. Werner is a prime example of compliance and I'm glad that he chose his own path in the end.
All of the characters are lovable and well-rounded, I loved them all so much.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Racism
Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Grief, and Stalking
lou_o_donnell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
pb914's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Genocide, Sexual assault, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, and Murder
macsenbesemer'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
februaryfriday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book wrecked me. if you´re planning on reading it, prepare to be crushed.
reading it is definitely an experience. it follows two very lovable, smart and kind, but also realistic and flawed main characters, werner and marie-laure, from childhood to adulthood. we get to see little vignettes of every stage of their lives and see the plot develop over a very long period of time, which makes it really slow-paced. overall, there isn´t a lot of plot, but i still enjoyed reading those scenes because of how much i loved the characters. i really appreciated how fleshed out even the side characters were and how real they felt.
moreover, i thought that the descriptions from marie-laure´s pov were super interesting since she´s blind and we learn how she perceives the world through other senses. she also has a strong bond to her family members and caretakers which was very nice to see.
furtherore, the writing was absolutely stunning! the imagery was breathtaking and the scenes all felt extremely well crafted. it was beautiful without being overly discriptive or elaborate, it was just right and i really appreciate it!
however, i was a little sad that we don´t get a lot of interaction between the main characters. the synopsis already tells us that the storylines of the main characters will intersect at some point, but it doesn´t happen until about 85% into the book. i was really anticipating it the whole time and when it did happen, it was really beautiful and i loved it, but i wished there would have been more of it. i think that a little more romance would have enriched the story even more, but i also understand that it fits the story and makes it realistic. just don´t expect the focus to be on the romance.
nevertheless, i was absolutely heartbroken by the end of the book and cried my eyes out. it was really impactful and i can´t stop thinking about it. i feel like this is something that will definitely stick with me.
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Violence
hanahf's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Genocide, Rape, Torture, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder