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waytoomanybooks's reviews
140 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
3.5
Please heed all the many, many content warnings I and others have tagged.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The two main characters are two girls in their early teens, and it was refreshing to read a story where the children are written realistically!
And the art is incredibly gorgeous!
Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy
- 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? Yes
2.5
I had to read it for school, and the triggering content made it difficult to finish and process. The complete lack of quotation marks and rarely used paragraph breaks was too tricky to get used to. At least the book led to lively class discussions, so that's something in its favor.
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It may help to know that if you have to read this for school, I was able to read the whole thing in about 6 hours while taking notes for class, and I'm a slow reader. I hope you find it as easy and interesting to read as I did!
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A recurring line is that what you put out into the world will come back threefold. And I love that it really makes you reflect on your own choices, on your own energy. The book also repeats the line that what has been done cannot be undone. How are you living your life? What can you change?
I love that it made me think and hit me right in the chest with insights and self-reflection right along with the characters. I constantly had a highlighter handy because there was so much that stood out to me that I wanted to go back to. I went back a few times throughout the novel and saw deliciously perfect morsels of foreshadowing, which makes it perfect book to reread and get something new out of it or notice something that you missed the first time.
I highly recommend this book!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thoroughly enjoyed the book...except for the last 30 pages, which I will discuss in the spoiler tag below.
This book is just another example of literary fiction grief porn. Lydia "had to" die for her family to learn how to live. Even her death is only meaningful to those who are living. Even her death was taken away as a thing meant just for her.
I was hugely disappointed.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying and Racism