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megelizabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
This is a brilliant, beautiful, soul-destroying book. The writing is very strong and the non-linear narrative is very well-crafted, and I adored the central relationship between brothers Michael and Francis, which is portrayed with such honesty and devastation. There's also a super interesting set of side characters and so many other important relationships are explored too.
This book provides so much to think about and reflect upon in its themes of grief, trauma, familial expectations, living as an immigrant, poverty, race, sexuality, police violence, and friendship and community, and it's one that I'm sure will stay with me for a long time.
My only criticism is that I struggled to feel connected to the time period. Most of the book is set during the 1980s and 1990s, but for reasons I can't quite articulate, it felt very contemporary and I honestly wouldn't have batted an eyelid if every word had been the same but it had been set today. I'd still highly, highly recommend it though, as everything else about it is so fantastic and brutal and important and devastating.
Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Murder, Child abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, Racism, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Terminal illness
maryjames'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: Cursing, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Homophobia, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Blood
karenaerts'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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Cancer, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, and Sexual content
steph1225'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: Cancer, Violence, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, and Gun violence
clem's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Blood and Racial slurs
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Death of parent, and Drug use