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lauracollins096's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Grief, Biphobia, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Stalking, Addiction, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage, Eating disorder, Excrement, Racial slurs, and Religious bigotry
kitfkat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Stalking, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual content, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
Minor: Blood, Body horror, and Biphobia
bridgetam's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Stalking, Suicide, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Self harm
Minor: Biphobia
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Mental illness, Drug use, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Lesbophobia, Sexism, Addiction, and Biphobia
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
What I didn't like is a little more complex. So: Greta is an unreliable and unlikeable messy narrator. Historically, I've been a fan of books with messy female protagonists. However, some of the language that Greta uses is pointlessly offensive. Within the first twenty pages, Greta makes an offhand comment where she says that the bees are "Japanesey." Later in the book, she says the r-slur as an insult. Even later, she refers to her face while crying as Chinese. All offhanded. Bi-erasure is also threaded throughout Big Swiss, unexamined. The central relationship in this book is wlw. Greta has recently broken up with a man and Flavia is currently married to a man. And yet, when Greta realizes how attached she is to Flavia and their relationship, she is determined to label herself and Flavia as gay. Even as Flavia disagrees with that choice.
Ultimately, I generally enjoy books with messy and complicated characters. However, I take issue with the use of hateful language to frame the unlikeability of a narrator. It was jarring to encounter in the text, especially when written in such a casual way. I believe that Greta could have been just as unlikeable without any of the offensive statements. @janandthings has a recent post on her profile where she puts it even better than I could: "when hateful commentary or behavior goes unchecked, that is not satire, that's hate speech."
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Violence, Suicide, Fatphobia, and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug use, and Stalking
adelal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Biphobia
hannacolm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse
Moderate: Suicide and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
jaiari12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Cursing, Addiction, Biphobia, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Homophobia
Minor: Excrement
beac'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
3.75
Graphic: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Biphobia and Gun violence
kpem'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Addiction and Biphobia