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rubyellen95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Murder, Medical content, and Grief
Minor: Dementia, Drug use, and Dysphoria
aliasbooklover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Violence, Physical abuse, Outing, Medical content, Gun violence, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, and Alcohol
emmagreenwood'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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia
nicolaparty'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
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Bullying and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Sexual assault
decklededgess'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
5.0
This book really pics up once you hit Jude’s POV so that’s about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way through the book. It’s raw and sad and so full of heart and all different kinds of love. Didn’t expect to love it so much!!!
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
scruffie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, and Medical content
Minor: Blood
f18'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
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death of parent, Dementia, Dysphoria, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Violence
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Murder
colorismquestingnotcoasting'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
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Hate crime
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Dementia, Death of parent, and Grief
_maria_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Racism and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Grief, Death of parent, and Transphobia
katsbooks'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
5.0
“She hadn't realized how long it takes to become somebody else, or how lonely it can be living in a world not meant for you.”
“The only difference between lying and acting was whether your audience was in on it, but it was all a performance just the same.”
“A body could be labeled but a person couldn’t, and the difference between the two depended on that muscle in your chest. That beloved organ, not sentient, not aware, not feeling, just pumping along, keeping you alive.”
I have so many feelings about this book. I don't know if I feel confident in articulating them. This book followed the lives of twins Desiree and Stella and their respective daughters, Jude and Kennedy. They are raised in the town of Mallard, a town for light-skinned "colored" people. When they get older, they make choices that will influence the rest of their lives and that of their daughters. This story obviously had a ton of commentary on colorism and what it means to "pass." I was really glad I had the chance to buddy read this because it was helpful to chat through some of the heavy themes. I think the title of this book is really spot on because it can be applied to so many different pieces of the novel. Ultimately, it's a book about identity. What does it mean to be Black? White? Man? Woman? Daughter? Mother? Family? I fully understand why this book has received all the hype it has in the last year or two. It is a powerful narrative that definitely feels like it will become a classic that is analyzed in classrooms for a long time. I would recommend going into this novel a little blind. What I've written here is basically what I knew about it when I went in and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience the story without any preconceived notions.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery