amanda_marie 's review for:

Ghost Town by Kevin Chen

4.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I didn’t know what to expect from the copy on this book, and still I left feeling I didn’t get what I expected, but what I did get was much more rewarding. A reflection on family, class, gender and sexuality, and small town life, Ghost Town manages to build fully fleshed out complex characters, and none more complex than that of the town itself. I would have perhaps liked more of Heath and Barbie at the end, and an even fuller family homecoming. More than anything though, I love that it does not shy away from some truly human, truly disturbing experiences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism

Moderate: Cancer, Confinement, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Abandonment