A review by kirnet
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this book, mostly about whether or not an intellectually disabled character would be given the nuance and respect he deserved. I’m glad to say that this book is written from a place of empathy and humanity, and it grapples with a lot of real traumas, emotions, and complications in human relationships. The focus on sex and romance was interesting to me, and I think it was needed as the right to sexuality and romance is a very real tenant of disability rights and justice. A lot of care was put into this book, even if it maybe didn’t get everything right, and it read as much more modern than I expected.
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