rae1019's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Slavery, Animal death, Child abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
scmiller'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
5.0
Graphic: Police brutality, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Racism, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Kidnapping, Rape, Animal death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Confinement, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Police brutality, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Medical content, and Torture
Minor: Trafficking
greatexpectations77's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic and Police brutality
Moderate: Racism, Stalking, Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Colonisation, and Abandonment
Definitely not an escape-from-covid read!madzie'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Police brutality, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Drug use
caseythereader'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Colonisation, Cursing, Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Police brutality, Racism, Medical content, Drug use, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual content
pulpandprose'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
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Hate crime, and Murder
unboxedjack'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
4.0
Moderate: Racism, Hate crime, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
prettycloud'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
4.75
Graphic: Drug use, Medical content, Police brutality, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, Body horror, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Torture, Slavery, and Sexual content
Minor: Colonisation, War, and Racism
This book addresses the horrors of colonialism and historic wrongs, but it doesn't twist the knife or delight in violence. The characters in the present experience common experiences during the first year of COVID, from generalized pandemic anxiety toSpoiler
police violence and hospitalization from the virusliterarylion'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
4.25
- Erdrich is just a beautiful writer, no matter what she writes. The composition is exquisite.
- The characters are well-developed and feel real
- An interesting take on the ghost trope
Cons:
- The plot was a bit scattered -- it seemed like it wasn't fully done coalescing, but there was probably pressure on her to publish while the pandemic was still happening/fresh in peoples' minds
- The first half and the second half seem like very different beasts. The pacing was a bit uneven.
Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Police brutality, and Racism
Minor: Animal death and Cursing
rei_reads'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
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Grief, Medical content, Police brutality, and Racism
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Death
Minor: Abandonment