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sarahbsews's review
- 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: Grief
Moderate: Racism, Murder, Torture, Violence, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Animal death, Blood, Alcoholism, Infertility, and Miscarriage
alyssatuininga's review
- 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: Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Blood, Car accident, Hate crime, War, Death of parent, Death, Miscarriage, Animal cruelty, Violence, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Infertility
dch7's review
- 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: Murder, Death, Bullying, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, and Grief
katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Murder, Racism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Fatphobia
Minor: War, Ableism, Animal death, Colonisation, Animal cruelty, and Miscarriage
doublel11's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.25
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty and Racial slurs
rudy23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Drug use, Car accident, and Death of parent
mdavis26's review
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Animal death, Miscarriage, Racism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Murder, War, Cultural appropriation, Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
alixcallender's review
- 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
3.75
- Far to many peach metaphors. We get it.
- Where is Wilson Moon’s actual personality?
- The near-end was overly fluffy and convenient. (Without giving anything away, I will just say that I am not convinced that Victoria could have imagined *that outcome* with such accuracy, nor do I believe that two people can glean such perfect and correct meaning from a pile of rocks.)
It was very much like Where the Crawdad’s Sing, so if you liked that story you’ll probably like this one too. It’s a poolside read. I read it quickly, and enjoyed it!
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Abandonment, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, Violence, Colonisation, Miscarriage, War, Sexism, and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident, Body shaming, Infertility, Animal cruelty, and Sexual content
astoriareader's review
- 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
- It is the 1940s at a peach orchard in rural Colorado in a town called Iola. Victoria Nash is 17, and she is the woman of the house, as her mother & aunt died about 5 years ago. Due to gender roles of the time period, Victoria is expected to fill the gaps that her mother’s absence left (e.g., domestic duties, cleaning, cooking, etc). Without any choice of her own, she mindlessly fills the roles, and she becomes an adult as a child. She lives with her father, her uncle Og, and her troubled brother Seth.
- One day, Victoria meets a handsome Indigenous man, Wilson Moon aka Wil. **Note: We never learn Wil’s community or nation of people, so I wish I could provide a better description.
- From their first meeting, Victoria and Wil have a spark & chemistry. Sadly, Iola’s community is filled with racism, and Wil quickly becomes an outcast. He becomes a forbidden love for Victoria.
- We follow Victoria’s life from 17 year old to an adult woman. The story spans about 20+ years.
- I started this book on a Tuesday night, and I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. I woke up early the next morning to finish, so I ended up reading it all in 13-14 hours.
- This is the author’s debut novel, and I am surprised, as the writing is top-notch. Read skillfully paints the landscape with words and weaves a beautiful story together. I loved how easy it was to visualize & empathize with the characters.
- Impressive character development. Victoria is a likable, relatable, & capable main character. I felt emotionally connected to the lows and the highs of her story. Also, loved the choice of a diverse love for Victoria. When we meet Victoria, she is only 17, and we get to see her beautiful journey over a few decades.
- Victoria’s story is a heavy read, as there are many heartbreaking moments. I found myself forgetting to breathe in a few parts. As we experience lows, we get to see the rise from the ashes & follow Victoria into adulthood.
- Although the initial part of the book starts slow & sets the stage, it’s worth it. It’s a well-plotted book, and if you trust the process, it becomes an enthralling ride.
- There were so many intriguing themes flushed out in this one: racism, discrimination, prejudice, self-esteem, self-acceptance, gender roles, women’s roles, friendship, loss, grief, motherhood, strength, perseverance, resilience, love, loneliness.
- Coming-of-age story. Although, after finishing, I did look into some of the historical points mentioned by the author (such as the town of Iola), so in a way, this also would fall into a historical fiction category.
Graphic: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Sexism, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Miscarriage, War, Animal death, and Car accident
raeerdna'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: Death, Abandonment, Death of parent, War, Alcoholism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Hate crime, Colonisation, Murder, Pregnancy, and Violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Torture