Reviews - Gutter Child | The StoryGraph

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345 reviews for:

Gutter Child

Jael Richardson

3.92 AVERAGE

marathonreader's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This is a movie-in-waiting that I feel like I should've loved a lot more. I said to my colleague that it was like the 2020's Divergent. Apparently this is also a YA novel, but come the latter half of the novel, I felt like this would have spoken to an adult audience (as well). I definitely see the merit and place in the classroom, but this didn't compel me to keep track of quotes and write an elaborate review.

catsandbookstacks's review against another edition

5.0

The Gutter System was implemented for the Socci people after they found and lost their lands to the Mainlanders. The system involves having to pay off their life debt, which is passed down through generations, in order to gain their freedom from the Gutter. Elimina was one of the children plucked from the Gutter and raised in with Mainlanders as part of a special project. ⁠
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Gutter Child is a dystopian coming of age about colonization, hope, trauma, generational trauma, motherhood and family. What a stunning debut novel from Canadian author, Jael Richardson! The fabricated dystopian world has so many footholds in our reality that it hits differently than others.

I felt absolute rage seeing the effects of colonialism, racism, debt, injustice, class and power imbalances as Elimina moves through her journey. Richardson's writing feels effortless to read, though the content is heavy. This is the book I started 2022 off with and I'm still pausing and reflecting.⁠
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CW: racism, suicide, abuse, rape⁠

thereadingrachel's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

3dotsforme's review against another edition

4.0

Elimina is raised on the Mainland, far away from the Gutter, by her adoptive mother and surrounded by white people who clearly dislike her simply for the colour of her skin. But then her mother dies and Elimina soon learns that all Gutter people, including her, are born with a huge debt that they must work off before being declared free.