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eligru'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
So many things in one story, so many amazing characters. So much swimming and fighting for nature, for sanity and for survival. Loved it.
Graphic: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Miscarriage, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Self harm, and Vomit
Minor: Chronic illness
alyssasaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Abandonment, and Self harm
amandaformby'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
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Car accident, Animal death, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Violence, Vomit, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Confinement, and Abandonment
_terah_hansen_'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicide, Abandonment, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Self harm, and Animal death
thebookwormkatie'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
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Death, and Suicide
emzireads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Car accident, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Violence and Miscarriage
schnurln's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
johannairene'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
my first impression, only a few pages in, was that mcconaghy knows how to grab me, drag me into her world, and have me really present - captivated- in the events which are filled with colour. franny (protagonist) and her obsession with birds and the ocean gave these moments and reflections a poetic touch which really attracted me.
but i got worried.
all that longing to follow the last arctic terns, to swim in the ocean and to give in to this desire to be free; was this romanising her mental state and her selfish ways which hurt the people around her? i started to have these thoughts and i got quite judgmental and annoyed at her, but this feeling was also in conflict with my empathy towards a struggling and heartbroken woman.
but it was mostly annoyance for some time, and this was before i finally saw the whole picture and realised that this is not a romanisation at all and there’s more to this story and her reasons for her actions.
my journey through these pages ended with heartbreak and a new perception of franny. she’s real and flawed, and i finally realised that she was easy to be suspicious of because i didn’t know the whole story.
i’m telling you this to demonstrate how this personal migration i was reading about evoked a reading experience that took me though a journey too.
wow. this book was a rollercoaster for me. but in the end, it truly was a unique experience and i’m in awe thinking about how this was executed. i’m actually quite speechless and i don’t feel like this review gives it justice, and that it won’t matter how many times i rewrite it.
read this book through and through, and you’ll see it’s beauty. prepare for heartbreak. i’m deeply impressed and i highly recommend.
Moderate: Violence, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
nehashtyle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Death, Abandonment, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Death of parent, Vomit, Grief, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
jgwags's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Death, and Child death