Scan barcode
jetty_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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: Animal death, Blood, Death, Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Cursing, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Child death, War, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse
hcgambrell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Child death, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Eating disorder and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Mental illness and Vomit
arielcg'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: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Confinement, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Gore, and Murder
Moderate: Eating disorder, Torture, and Gun violence
Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Kidnapping
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????a11yssa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Gun violence, Torture, Vomit, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Child death, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, and Eating disorder
ricksilva'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
The setup is perhaps a bit overcomplicated, but the author does a nice job of working through the implications of all of this stuff happening at once. There are bullies who take over, only to get displaced by yet-more-evil bullies (we know they're more evil because these are private school bullies from the local boarding school for entitled troublemakers). The bullies soon become full-on comic book villains, complete with imperilment of the heroes' friends and loved ones, scheming and infighting, and the occasional good guy proclaiming that "it's a trap!"
Reluctant hero Sam and smart-girl Astrid take a long time to decide to fight back against the bullies, and they really have a hard time getting anything resembling a win, although they do somewhat pull things together in the climactic bit. Nobody is really all that competent at what they are trying to do, which is part of the point, since they're all just a bunch of middle school kids.
Really, what saves the story are some of the minor characters who mostly stay out of the fighting, but instead work hard to make sure the younger kids are taken care of and that everyone gets fed. I'd read an entire novel about Albert, the kid who, in the midst of the vanishing of all adults and the apparent collapse of civilization, takes it upon himself to keep the town's McDonald's up and running. This guy was the real hero of this story. More Albert, please.
Which we might get, because the book ends with the initial battle over, but without all that much resolved.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Eating disorder and Child death
loz1327's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child death, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, and Racial slurs
glains's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Violence, Gun violence, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Eating disorder, and Child death
delphic's review
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child death, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore
Minor: Vomit