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cassianlamb's reviews
754 reviews
- 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? No
3.0
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Blood, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Outing
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Transphobia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Abortion, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, Acephobia/Arophobia, Pregnancy, Dysphoria
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation
Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Death of parent
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I can't say it was realistic (ex. it's illegal in New York to discriminate against trans people, and as Valentine Academy is no longer a religious school they can't discriminate against Charlie, plus some of the characters were highly pretentious) but it was good. I liked the friendships in it and how Charlie slowly grew less afraid to exist.
Being trans isn't the main focal point, though it is relevant. Instead everyone gets to be actual people, and no one is really defined by any one trait. There is an odd obsession with love letters, but that was the only thing that really irked me, though it was also most of the plot.
Overall it's a very good book I want to read again.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent
Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt
Minor: Vomit
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It was hard to get into this book from the start because we're dropped right in the middle of the story with absolutely no build up. While some people have mentioned the alternating timeline chapters made it even more difficult to follow, I think following was less an issue and more it would have helped to have these first to see how we got to where the book started. It did not help that in a flashback chapter it's revealed to be insta-love, so the issue of no buildup is compounded.
Furthermore, the love-interest/second main character (Jacob) is kind of horrible. He barely has any redeeming qualities, even when the person who claims to love him talks about him. When we reach Jacob's POV chapters, it doesn't get any better. Even the epiphany common to romance books comes out of nowhere, feeling more like a last ditch effort to make him like able than anything else. Jacob doesn't even really seem to care for the person he's with, making me wonder why they're so determined to be together.
This book might work for me if I'm bored with nothing else to read, but right now it was not really worth it. Others might enjoy it though.
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Religious bigotry
Minor: Death, Infidelity