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autumngore'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
3.75
(tried hunger like a decade ago, couldn't get more than maybe 100 pages in? i don't remember much about that reading except that the book didn't intrigue me the way vol 1. did, even through its slow/rough parts. i don't feel compelled to give it another chance the way im intending to do with the wrinkle in time books)
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Racism, Eating disorder, and Addiction
slatattack's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
The explicit depictions of bulimia are unnecessary and not really plot relevant. As too is the ableism and racism. Little Pete didn’t have to be autistic there is no plot reason for it at all and it is written very poorly and very stereotypically and is a very ableist and infantilising portrayal. It seems as though some characters were written as ableist and racist so the author could get away with saying slurs/racist comments. And Astrids response to Pete being called the r-slur is disgusting and ableist as hell against high support needs autistics.
I finished the book but only because I hate DNFing. The storyline was clunky and had many plot holes and the writing was poor.
Graphic: Eating disorder and Gore
Moderate: Racism and Ableism
c_dmckinney'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Violence, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, War, and Vomit
The R slur is constantly used against an autistic child. The narrative treats it as a bad and disgusting, unacceptable thing, but it is still used a lot.123urmom's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Bullying, Child death, Gore, Ableism, Death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Murder, Grief, Medical trauma, Torture, Vomit, Body horror, Blood, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Kidnapping, and Racism
i live in a small town where slurs are said all the time. i read the rword more times than i’ve heard it in my life???? holy shit????villainessreads'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Violence, Eating disorder, Ableism, Body horror, Gore, Racism, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Xenophobia, Torture, Racial slurs, Child death, Blood, Gun violence, and Death
0pen_b00ks'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Bullying, Body shaming, Gun violence, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Vomit, Violence, Eating disorder, Body horror, Blood, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Gore, and Car accident
Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death
iinavarro's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Summary: One day, everyone over the age of 14 disappears suddenly. Set in a small beach town, down the coast from a nuclear power plant (uh-oh), the remaining kids work together to survive, navigate emerging power struggles, and make sense of their new world.
What I liked: Overall, the book is well paced and manages the number of characters expertly. There are upwards of 15 named characters and I was impressed that it was easy to differentiate and keep track of them. The description of action, strategy, and ultimately fighting, was also very well done. There were parts of the story that were so cinematic and engaging, I was reminded a lot of IT and Stranger Things. I love how realistic and dark the story gets; it’s a promising premise that I feel pays off with the characters making increasingly terrifying decisions.
What I wish was better: the character growth and complexity was fairly shallow but this may be the result of having so many of them. I felt like the main character, Sam, was a fairly straightforward, overpowered hero and the antagonist was blandly power hungry. Some of the supporting characters, particularly Lana, Jack, and Howard, were better fleshed out in terms of strengths and weaknesses. That said, I think the setting and circumstances give everyone a lot of room for growth and it’ll be interesting to see how they evolve in future books.
Possible triggers: Ableism, the R-word— this book was written in 2009 so the language surrounding neurodivergence and autism specifically is fairly dated. While it’s certainly believable that the characters would say and think the things they do, I still didn’t feel the autistic character (Little Pete) was portrayed very authentically. His description reminded me more of what people think autism is (doesn’t notice other people, doesn’t show affection, hyper focused on preferences) rather than how they actually behave and respond. I know the public’s understanding of autism has grown exponentially in the last decade, so I can certainly suspend my disbelief, but I do hope this character gets stronger development in future books.
Graphic: Child abuse, Ableism, and Child death
dustspectre'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: Violence, Ableism, and Child death
Moderate: Racism
thegr1mreader's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Ableism, Racism, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Xenophobia, and Ableism
kindajason's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism
Moderate: Mental illness, Gun violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Racial slurs and Racism