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spadefootfrog's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Mental illness and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, and Colonisation
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Slavery, Terminal illness, and War
lorenag5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
dizzymisslizzy'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Slavery, Car accident, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Homophobia and Suicide attempt
town_scar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This novel is a true masterpiece. A combination of prose and poetry that embodies naturalism and spiritualism at its core.
Perhaps my only gripe is that I wish there had been a greater focus on non-White individuals. The main owners of the house are all white (with a single brief exception) and while the original inhabitants of the land are acknowledged they are not given a voice.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, and Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Cancer
rednikki'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? It's complicated
2.5
But Mason only tells the story through the white people who have lived (or in one case, visited) there. Excluding people of color from point of view was clearly a decision Mason made. The first time we encounter the place, it is through the eyes of some of the first white settlers of the US; we never see it through the eyes of the historical people of the land. There is one section where there is a person of color living in the place, and Mason chooses to tell the story through the point of view of a white visitor instead.
Rutherford's books also usually have at least some time points where there is hope and happiness. In Mason's world, there is only misery, tragedy and despair. Sometimes it's just an undercurrent, sometimes it is overwhelming – but whenever his characters experience joy they are punished for it.
Do not recommend.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Slavery, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
chloesnotscared's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Moderate: Car accident and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Colonisation
atiek'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Slavery and Suicide
Minor: War
jesselynn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thank you to John Murray Press/Hachette for the advanced reader copy.
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Blood, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Fatphobia, Slavery, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol