Scan barcode
matthewosborne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia
shelvesofivy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Vomit
Moderate: Body horror, Car accident, Gore, Medical content, Violence, Cursing, and Confinement
sarafinley'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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Body horror, Violence, and Homophobia
mandi_lea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
stegs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Homophobia, and Body horror
Moderate: Medical content, Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Violence, Cursing, and Vomit
discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Having been raised Evangelical, this hit particularly close to home, especially in the way that it depicts the type of psychological conditioning and manipulation employed by the Church as a means of control.
For instance, the genuine fear and distrust of one’s own thoughts and natural impulses; the constant sense of being surveilled by some unseen entity, be it God or Satan (who is always on the prowl for an opening to possess your soul); the looming threat of eternal damnation; the discouragement of curiosity for the sake of remaining ignorant and dependent on faith; etc.
This book does such a good job of portraying the slow, unsettling experience of beginning to notice how the things around you—that you’ve accepted as normal your entire life—suddenly seem wrong, ridiculous, or at worst, downright sinister. It also addresses the various ways someone who grew up in the church, then left it, might grapple with a) their relationship with God/faith, and b) their guilt over their involvement with the Church at all. (It reminds me of that “I’m sorry for the things I said as an Evangelical teenager” photo that went viral.)
Most importantly, this is a book about regaining one’s autonomy and sense of self. I LOVED that about it.
But while I enjoy stories that hold up a mirror to my own trauma because I find them validating, I also recognize that this book depicts a horror that some people have actually lived: conversion therapy camp. So I understand if that’s just too much for some folks.
Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Death, Homophobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Gun violence
Minor: Alcohol, Confinement, and Kidnapping
_meeg's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Body horror, Biphobia, Physical abuse, Stalking, Car accident, Child abuse, Abandonment, Child death, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Grief, Blood, Kidnapping, and Medical content
Moderate: Confinement
chrobin'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Violence, and Vomit
cosmopsis'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Body horror, Gaslighting, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail
willthebean'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
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Death, Gun violence, and Homophobia