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orlagal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Murder
fiveredhens'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
She shook her head from side to side, resigned to her rebellious brain. Why was there nothing it refused? No misery, no regret, no hateful picture too rotten to accept? Like a greedy child it snatched up everything. Just once, could it say, No thank you? I just ate and can’t hold another bite?
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal death, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and War
mexigingerale'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
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Murder, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent
readingpicnic'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
nancymking's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Hate crime, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Child abuse
kylieqrada'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
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and Mental illness
gracer'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? It's complicated
4.0
A lot of what was going on here obviously went way over my head. I really wish I had read this in school, as so many of my classmates did, because so much of it left me thinking, "I don't get it!" But I did a bunch of research, and thinking, and some text message discussions with friends who had read it in school, and came to get a better idea of it, and I really enjoy it when a book makes me do that. When it requires thinking and when I am actually invested enough to turn to the secondary sources and get some clarification, then says very good things about the book.
That said, I'm still of two minds about it. One part, the five star part, recognizes that the use of language is excellent, the story is moving beyond what one could expect (I've been hearing about this book since I was 14 and yet nothing could have prepared me for this). The other part, the three star part, is aware that this is not the type of writing that I really love. I like books that are concise, that feel edited, that contain multitudes in their limited pages. I am not a great fan of descriptive passages. (For example, (view spoiler).) I assume that the reason I encountered that perceived wordiness here was partially because I am missing something and partially because it was written in the 80s, and for some reason I think of books from that time as being a little more... "flowery" is the word, although it's so completely wrong for this book. It also took me a long time to come around to magical realism, and I still sometimes grapple with it when I come across it.
So, four stars - and anyway stars don't really mean anything - as a compromise, and with the understanding that maybe I'll read this again some day. I hope I will. Maybe after I've gotten a little more exposure to stream-of-consciousness and magical realism.
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Violence, Torture, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Child death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual violence, Medical content, and Death of parent
r__kat'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty
lysac382'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
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Child death, Death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Grief, Death of parent, and Blood
Moderate: Rape and Infidelity