gracie_alexandra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Abortion, Alcohol, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape
thejuliette's review
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Vomit, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Alcohol, Cursing, and Drug use
ivulikkivulik's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Rape, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Abortion
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Violence
glass123banan's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Abortion, and Rape
horsefamous's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Outing, and Abortion
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic friendship
ivegotyourpaperback'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? It's complicated
5.0
The complexity of the story lies in the fact that Max is intersex (of which there are variations, which I didn’t know) and is violated by a trusted person, which has a ripple affect, altering Max’s life and the lives of those closest to him.
The story is multi-POV, being told from the following points of view:
* Max
* Max’s mum
* Max’s brother
* Max’s dad
* Max’s doctor
* Max’s girlfriend
It was important to me that each POV was explored, rather than having the whole story told solely from Max’s perspective. It made the story feel more real.
One of the biggest themes of the book by far, was bodily autonomy. What right did Max’s offender have to violate Max? How much information about Max’s condition should the Dr/ his parents have volunteered? What is the appropriate way to handle a teen pregnancy and who should be handling those decisions?
I think it’s incredibly fitting that I wrote this review on the day that the US Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade decision. If I were a less cynical person, I’d believe those Justice’s and the ‘pro-lifers’ would be more compassionate towards Max. Come to think of it, it’s probably a good thing the story is set in the UK.
Content warnings:
⚠️Rape
⚠️Abortion
⚠️Attempted suicide
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Abortion and Suicide attempt
majahultqvist's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
lesbianfroglover's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Spoiler
We can also see how Max's mum is embarrassed and wants her son to be her normal, perfect golden boy. Therefore she tries to keep Max's sex a secret. And she also does something unforgivable. Right before Max is about to fall asleep from the anesthesia for his abortion, he changes his mind; he wants to wait longer, he needs more time. His mother chooses to pretend not to hear this, putting her own agenda over her son's. She just wants his (and her own) life to continue smoothly. Although Max said he probably would've chosen to abort anyway it was cruel for his mother to not give him more time to even accept and realise what happened to him.But I just really love this book. I read it for school but I probably would have read it on my own as well.
Graphic: Rape, Abortion, Medical trauma, and Suicidal thoughts
ashadaxa's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Abortion, Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Medical content
queenfury's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Spoiler
the characters went, "Gee, maybe we should let Max have control of his own body," after his mother tells the surgeons to proceed with an abortion after Max withdraws his consent, his choices in not wanting to be around his mother anymore and not reporting his rapist to the police or his parents are taken away from him yet again.I also found the writing itself to be quite bad. The POV shifts are frequent and often unnecessary. Aside from the literal child narrator, who is overly intelligent for his age due to autism (which is never remarked upon by any character), each character has the same narrative voice with almost no distinguishing features. The characters besides Max felt bland and two-dimensional.
Ultimately, I feel like this is a book with important themes that it misses the mark on.
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Vomit, and Drug use
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Abandonment