A review by ledegennaro
Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison

challenging dark emotional slow-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

3.0

A southern, coming of age story that gets awfully dark. Bone is precocious young girl who seems to see the reality of everything around her better than some of the adults. Her entire extended family is full of strong characters with big personality. I liked the way the Boatwrights looked after each other and took care of their own no matter what was going on individually, and I really liked the variety of tough women in Bone’s life. Bone’s voice is sweet and likable and I found myself rooting for her.

There is graphic violence and sexual abuse which I was not expecting since I wasn’t familiar with the title.
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