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smsegal's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse
Minor: Violence, Death of parent, and Alcoholism
sestep's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Markus Zusak has a beautiful power of writing in ways that just punch you in the face. His style is beautiful, & funny, & relatable, & wrenching. This book is a classic to me bc of that. & the opening chapter is one of the best I’ve read in my life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Rape
Minor: Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Blood
subplots includeicieri's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, and Stalking
jcatzzz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Death of parent
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
anwhitebooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While I loved the story and the writing had it's moments, I wouldn't say I was hooked. I found myself skimming and much of the middle was very predictable. The most interesting parts were when we were trying to piece together who was doing this to him.
I did feel conflicted about the ending. It gave me food for thought, but I'm not 100% sure if "fourth-wall breaks" are for me.
I did feel conflicted about the ending. It gave me food for thought, but I'm not 100% sure if "fourth-wall breaks" are for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Gun violence and Alcoholism
e_reader's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book broke my heart and put it back together again more times than I can count, and yet my heart feels more whole from all that healing.
Zusak’s prose is beautiful, and I already know this will be a book I reread for years to come. I enjoyed his Book Thief, but this one may even top that for me. I love the journey that Ed goes on; I wish I could just crawl inside these pages and live in them.
The one part I didn’t love was the ending. I kind of hate when they end a book with the “this whole book was actually the main character writing it,” it just feels so cliche and I feel like Zusak should have known better. nonetheless, the ending was satisfying and gave me the warm fuzzies.
Zusak’s prose is beautiful, and I already know this will be a book I reread for years to come. I enjoyed his Book Thief, but this one may even top that for me. I love the journey that Ed goes on; I wish I could just crawl inside these pages and live in them.
The one part I didn’t love was the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Gun violence
jayda_lily's review against another edition
slow-paced
- 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
1.0
This is filled with casual spoilers, i’ve tried not to spoil any major plot points but honestly i’m so mad that I can’t handle talking around things or pointing out the specific spoilers. You have been warned.
I have never been so infuriated while reading a book. By the time I was halfway through, there was nothing that could redeem it for me. I despised Ed and take note, if two people ask you if you’re a pervert, you probably are one. I’m all for reading about characters that aren’t perfect and don’t make good life choices, but when you’re met with the internal monologue of Ed, and his sense of entitlement, I can’t imagine having any sympathy for him.
Speaking of Ed’s entitlement, the way he spoke (yeah it was his internal monologue but i’m just gonna refer to it as him speaking) about Audrey, the entire book, made me so angry!!! If you understand why she can’t be with you, and she has told you that she doesn’t want to be with you, then it’s time to move on. No matter how many times Audrey tells him that she doesn’t want to be with him, Ed not only still tries to make moves in her, he feels as though he deserves her, for all the charitable thing he has done (and if you’re wondering, yes ‘charitable’ is dripping with sarcasm). And to make matters worse, they end up together. Look on the one hand, I’m glad that Audrey was able to finally be with someone who she actually likes and cares about, however, her whole subplot of having to work through that was poorly done, and I hate that it was with Ed, after his relentless complaining and whining (internal) about her not wanting to be with him.
I also just found most of the other characters to be poorly developed, and focusing on each of their problems once in the second last part of the book doesn’t make up for that. Everything felt rushed and although Zusak attempted to show Ed having trouble figuring out what to do, it always seemed as though he made it to every conclusion too easily, and in a very unrealistic way. A lot of the plot seemed to be aided by the other ‘messengers’ one might say, jumping in to show him what he needed to do, in the most cryptic way. I also found a lot of the ways he ‘helped’ people to be too small for him to have boosted his ego as much as it did. I completely understand how much a small gesture from a stranger can mean to someone who is struggling, however that should not lead to the entitlement that Ed got from it.
I could go into specific things about each ‘task’ (for lack of a better word) that I didn’t like, and I might some other time, but that would take too long for now.
Ok I lied, this next part is gonna reveal the entire ending:
So, the ending, I hated it.The main reason I continued to read the book was to see if there was supposed to be some deeper message when the person pulling the strings was revealed, and I was thoroughly disappointed to say the least. First of all, the ending, the reveal, it was all way too rushed and confusing. Four different interactions, that were supposed to be the big reveal of the book, were fit into eleven pages. In these eleven pages, we also experienced Ed suddenly having a completely new though of whether his dad was behind it all, purely by the fact that he was asked to go to the cemetery on the one year anniversary of his dad’s death, and yeah maybe that does create suspicion and links however, giving everything previously told to us about his father, by Ed, it does not seem like he would have been in any position to orchestrate this. Secondly, the actual reveal, what in the author is playing god was that!!! And basically that’s the whole point, that someone orchestrated every single thing because they didn’t want Ed to end up like his father. They also had written about everything, which they gave to Ed to read, making this fall into, and absolutely butcher, one of my favourite tropes, which is the this book that someone in the book has been writing, yeah it’s actually the one you just read, so that just topped it all off didn’t it. I’m pretty sure the person is supposed to be Markus Zusak and be a supposedly real life kinda spin on how characters in books are completely controlled by the author, and honestly if it had’ve been slightly more likeable characters, I probably would’ve really enjoyed it. However I did not and here we are.
The final kinda theme or message, also the main one seemingly, is basically wrapped up in this quote:
I have never been so infuriated while reading a book. By the time I was halfway through, there was nothing that could redeem it for me. I despised Ed and take note, if two people ask you if you’re a pervert, you probably are one. I’m all for reading about characters that aren’t perfect and don’t make good life choices, but when you’re met with the internal monologue of Ed, and his sense of entitlement, I can’t imagine having any sympathy for him.
Speaking of Ed’s entitlement, the way he spoke (yeah it was his internal monologue but i’m just gonna refer to it as him speaking) about Audrey, the entire book, made me so angry!!! If you understand why she can’t be with you, and she has told you that she doesn’t want to be with you, then it’s time to move on. No matter how many times Audrey tells him that she doesn’t want to be with him, Ed not only still tries to make moves in her, he feels as though he deserves her, for all the charitable thing he has done (and if you’re wondering, yes ‘charitable’ is dripping with sarcasm). And to make matters worse, they end up together. Look on the one hand, I’m glad that Audrey was able to finally be with someone who she actually likes and cares about, however, her whole subplot of having to work through that was poorly done, and I hate that it was with Ed, after his relentless complaining and whining (internal) about her not wanting to be with him.
I also just found most of the other characters to be poorly developed, and focusing on each of their problems once in the second last part of the book doesn’t make up for that. Everything felt rushed and although Zusak attempted to show Ed having trouble figuring out what to do, it always seemed as though he made it to every conclusion too easily, and in a very unrealistic way. A lot of the plot seemed to be aided by the other ‘messengers’ one might say, jumping in to show him what he needed to do, in the most cryptic way. I also found a lot of the ways he ‘helped’ people to be too small for him to have boosted his ego as much as it did. I completely understand how much a small gesture from a stranger can mean to someone who is struggling, however that should not lead to the entitlement that Ed got from it.
I could go into specific things about each ‘task’ (for lack of a better word) that I didn’t like, and I might some other time, but that would take too long for now.
Ok I lied, this next part is gonna reveal the entire ending:
So, the ending, I hated it.
The final kinda theme or message, also the main one seemingly, is basically wrapped up in this quote:
‘I did it because you are the epitome of ordinariness, Ed.’ He looks at me seriously. ‘And if a guy like you can stand up and do what you did for all those people, we’ll maybe everyone can. Maybe everyone can live beyond what they’re capable of.’ He becomes intense now. Emotional. This is everything. ‘Maybe even I can… ‘
A final note on the book, there are a couple of things throughout the book that are just outdated and unnecessary. The two that come to mind are the speculation of the gender of a player in a football game, which was brought up multiple times, way more than it should’ve (that being zero), and referring to a child whose gender was unknown as ‘it’. Yes the book was written in 2002, but that was not that long ago and these things, although probably more accepted in media (idk I wasn’t born then) can not be excused and just don’t make for a good time when reading. Another thing that just made me deeply uncomfortable, was Ed’s comments on one of the characters that he helps, who is a 15 year old girl, Ed is 19, and he makes both internal comments about how beautiful he finds her and says it to her. There are also two times he is asked by a character if he is a pervert (one of them being Sophie, the 15 year old), and in both situations he denies it. As well as at least three times in his internal monologue where he makes a point to himself, and also the reader I guess, that he is not a pervert. So make of that what you will but as I said earlier, if two people have to ask you, then you probably should do some self evaluation on that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, and Sexual assault
Minor: Rape and Transphobia
notreallyregan's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.25
This review is going to be a rollercoaster ride and will contain some spoilers. This is one of the lowest ratings I have ever given a novel in my life. I wasn't expecting this to be anything like The Book Thief. I went into it with an open-mind. In short, I hated this book.
I just did not care about anything that was supposed to be emotional. It didn’t work. This book was a flop in my eyes.
Live footage of me the whole time I was dragging myself through this book: 😐😐
Were all of the characters meant to be so unlikable? Everyone is greasy. The men are disgusting and oversexualize everything the women do. Ed claims to have strong feelings for Audrey but he views her as a sexual object more than anything else. His descriptions of his mother are disrespectful. He is 19, but sexualizes a literal 14 year old girl. It's repulsive. The women in this novel are treated like sexual objects. That being said, I think every character in the novel is flat and boring! Ed is awful. He's so uninteresting and has no complexity. No wonder his mom hates him. His friends are greasy. The banter is not funny. The dialogue is not funny at all. If some of the crude parts are meant to add something, it was lost on me. The fucking dog is the best character.
I had a hard time finishing this novel because it was not even a little engaging. The opening scene was awesome. There were sprinkles of intrigue throughout the novel, but it did not hold my attention. Trust me, I'm not hard to please. I'm just looking for a good time but this book was gross AND boring! I am finished with it and hardly understand the concept because it was done poorly. The entire thing felt cheap.
If I were Ed, you can bet your ass I would not have done 95% of the things he did. He stalked people. He was creepy. His moral compass was so questionable even though he developed a savior complex through his mission. He came to conclusions that no one else except the author who knows the fucking plot could have come to. The people on the receiving end of Ed's messengers were so calm with a strange man stalking them and loitering. No one would actually react that way. A girl like Sophie would have been terrified of him and likely avoided him. If someone came to my house for no reason and said, "I don't know why I'm here yet but I have a purpose," I would laugh in their face and tell them to get the hell out of my home. I would call the police if I caught someone watching me. Unless stalking is more socially acceptable in Australia . . . yeah, no. I'm still giving Bridge of Clay a chance with an open mind, but this is probably the worst and most forgettable book I have ever read. And I'm being nice.
I just did not care about anything that was supposed to be emotional. It didn’t work. This book was a flop in my eyes.
Live footage of me the whole time I was dragging myself through this book: 😐😐
Were all of the characters meant to be so unlikable? Everyone is greasy. The men are disgusting and oversexualize everything the women do. Ed claims to have strong feelings for Audrey but he views her as a sexual object more than anything else. His descriptions of his mother are disrespectful. He is 19, but sexualizes a literal 14 year old girl. It's repulsive. The women in this novel are treated like sexual objects. That being said, I think every character in the novel is flat and boring! Ed is awful. He's so uninteresting and has no complexity. No wonder his mom hates him. His friends are greasy. The banter is not funny. The dialogue is not funny at all. If some of the crude parts are meant to add something, it was lost on me. The fucking dog is the best character.
I had a hard time finishing this novel because it was not even a little engaging. The opening scene was awesome. There were sprinkles of intrigue throughout the novel, but it did not hold my attention. Trust me, I'm not hard to please. I'm just looking for a good time but this book was gross AND boring! I am finished with it and hardly understand the concept because it was done poorly. The entire thing felt cheap.
If I were Ed, you can bet your ass I would not have done 95% of the things he did. He stalked people. He was creepy. His moral compass was so questionable even though he developed a savior complex through his mission. He came to conclusions that no one else except the author who knows the fucking plot could have come to. The people on the receiving end of Ed's messengers were so calm with a strange man stalking them and loitering. No one would actually react that way. A girl like Sophie would have been terrified of him and likely avoided him. If someone came to my house for no reason and said, "I don't know why I'm here yet but I have a purpose," I would laugh in their face and tell them to get the hell out of my home. I would call the police if I caught someone watching me. Unless stalking is more socially acceptable in Australia . . . yeah, no. I'm still giving Bridge of Clay a chance with an open mind, but this is probably the worst and most forgettable book I have ever read. And I'm being nice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
myarae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
latsin's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Although the story is so so interesting and suspenseful and you want to keep reading it because the pace is so fast you don't want to put the book down, the thing that would most often jar me out of the story was the excessive comments objectifying women. You can find yourself gripped by the emotions of the story and feeling good about humanity ant then the main character will add an unnecessary sexist or objectifying comment and it honestly made me want to throw the book against the wall several times. I think the story would have done much better without, and I don't know if it was the author trying to write the character (the character is like that) or just the author projecting his views on the character (the author is like that). This book suffers from a terrible case of "Men writing women".
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Ableism, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism
Minor: Fatphobia