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serendipitysbooks'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
4.75
It’s a big, sprawling and ambitious book, one with gorgeous prose. It is sort of three stories in one. The first is an alternative history, set in an America where the Civil War had a very different outcome. In the Free States homosexuality is fully accepted. However, racism and classism still prevail. The second story is more contemporary set in what is recognisably the AIDS epidemic. The third, which has an epistolary element and is the longest and most multifaceted of the three, is set in a dystopian future where multiple pandemics and climate change have caused plenty of suffering, martial law, the loss of liberty and the recriminalisation of homosexuality.
These three stories are entirely separate, each set roughly a century apart. And yet they are not. A house in Washington Square is a prominent location in each and all feature characters called David, Charles and Edward. This can be slightly disorienting since they are clearly not the same people. And yet they play similar roles and represent similar constructs. In addition there are strong thematic threads running through each story. All have a character, somewhat an outsider, who is seeking love and acceptance. The impact of colonisation in Hawaii, which places a central role in book 2, reappears in book 3 with a focus on ownership of Hawaiian artefacts and cultural appropriation. Disease, loss, inheritance, race, homosexuality, and safety are other common themes. Yet despite seeing these connections I found the structure a bit messy and confusing. I’m still ambivalent as to whether they combined effectively to form a coherent novel. That, and many other issues, especially those where the author’s position seems at odds with my own, would make for a fascinating book club discussion.
A beautifully written book that made me think, made me feel and will stick with me. A winner.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, and Terminal illness
franklola's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Child death, Rape, Terminal illness, Classism, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Minor: Cancer
mirandaandtitania's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Infertility, Colonisation, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Sexual assault
fionagerman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Child death, Confinement, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault, Infertility, Homophobia, War, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization
catesm'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
4.0
Moderate: Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Classism, Cursing, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and War
celineh's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Infertility, and Terminal illness
kirstym25's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Terminal illness
jw03'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? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Colonisation and Homophobia
Minor: Rape
libraryfiend21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
belovedsnail's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, and Homophobia
Minor: Rape