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eligru'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
5.0
So many things in one story, so many amazing characters. So much swimming and fighting for nature, for sanity and for survival. Loved it.
Graphic: Animal death, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Self harm, Vomit, and Alcohol
Minor: Chronic illness
alyssasaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
amandaformby's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
_terah_hansen_'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
thebookwormkatie'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
Moderate: Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
emzireads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, and Car accident
Moderate: Miscarriage and Violence
schnurln's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
johannairene'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
my first impression, only a few pages in, was that mcconaghy knows how to grab me, drag me into her world, and have me really present - captivated- in the events which are filled with colour. franny (protagonist) and her obsession with birds and the ocean gave these moments and reflections a poetic touch which really attracted me.
but i got worried.
all that longing to follow the last arctic terns, to swim in the ocean and to give in to this desire to be free; was this romanising her mental state and her selfish ways which hurt the people around her? i started to have these thoughts and i got quite judgmental and annoyed at her, but this feeling was also in conflict with my empathy towards a struggling and heartbroken woman.
but it was mostly annoyance for some time, and this was before i finally saw the whole picture and realised that this is not a romanisation at all and there’s more to this story and her reasons for her actions.
my journey through these pages ended with heartbreak and a new perception of franny. she’s real and flawed, and i finally realised that she was easy to be suspicious of because i didn’t know the whole story.
i’m telling you this to demonstrate how this personal migration i was reading about evoked a reading experience that took me though a journey too.
wow. this book was a rollercoaster for me. but in the end, it truly was a unique experience and i’m in awe thinking about how this was executed. i’m actually quite speechless and i don’t feel like this review gives it justice, and that it won’t matter how many times i rewrite it.
read this book through and through, and you’ll see it’s beauty. prepare for heartbreak. i’m deeply impressed and i highly recommend.
Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
nehashtyle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
jgwags's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, and Suicide attempt