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emmarauchtcamel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Biphobia, Self harm, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Body horror, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Homophobia
neontulips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Outing, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Vomit, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Child death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Medical content
dbsuperslayer'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Ableism, Homophobia, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Vomit, Car accident, Death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Forced institutionalization
floraaea3'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
feral_andro'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
3.25
minor spoilers
I did not particularly like this book and don't understand why so many people do. The writing was not immersive for me -- instead of showing the reader who the characters are, all we get are endlessly long descriptions of the author telling us. I typically really enjoy dense writing, but it was not beautiful or original prose.
As for content, I still don't know how I feel about it. As someone who has experienced abuse, I just don't see Jude's internalization of it as realistic. Yes, there are elements of realism, but I think the degree to which he has internalized what he experienced is dramatized in the extreme and somehow takes away from the experiences of real abuse survivors .... though I have not yet been able to find the words to describe why I feel this.
(Possibly because in the end we're just supposed to accept that some people are too broken to be "saved" and are just destined to die. And as someone who has been suicidal before, I don't like this suggestion at all.)
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Self harm, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Child abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Acephobia/Arophobia, Dysphoria, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
adamparrishlover'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Death, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Blood, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Car accident, and Vomit
Moderate: Racism, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Homophobia
prawdziwki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Death, Chronic illness, Ableism, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Biphobia, Transphobia, Homophobia, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Outing, Addiction, Drug abuse, Medical content, Classism, Racism, and Grief
moomoochamp'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Kidnapping, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Ableism, and Medical trauma
Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Acephobia/Arophobia, Racism, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Fatphobia, and Vomit
emilyhunterr'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
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Incest, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Adult/minor relationship
jaybird_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I will begin this by saying that I am a queer disabled man, and it is for that reason (and my insatiable, sometimes harmful curiosity) that I read this book.
This book is not some great gay novel as so many have claimed. It is not even written about queerness; it just uses sex with men as one of the many ways that Jude is physically and emotionally tortured. Jude’s sexuality, trauma, and disability is not written with empathy — it is written with a sick fascination that is voyeuristic in nature.
Some of the characters are more than lovable. Some of the scenes and relationships are beyond beautiful. I cried over the first description of Jude’s pain because it was so similar to my own. I cried over the care that Harold showed Jude. I don’t care. The point of this book could have been achieved in 200 less pages and with less than half of the atrocities that were done to Jude.
I might write more later, but for now I have finally sat down and read (in one week) this 800 page trauma-porn novel that so many people are undeservedly obsessed with (most likely because our culture is obsessed with trauma and abuse, especially that visited upon queer men) and can finally say from personal experience: do not fucking read this book.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Vomit, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia