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herasrevenge88'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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
sherbertwells's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“She makes me so mad I could spit, but I can’t begin to imagine the strength it takes to refuse a pill that would give you a whole new life, one without seizures, without the embarrassment of waking up to strangers’ faces and unfamiliar ceilings. Faith that moves mountains” (232).
“[Justine] couldn’t know how in a few months she’d be flooded with a crippling love for another human being that would wound her for the rest of her days, how her insides would be wiped clean, burdened, and saved by a kid who’d come kicking into this world with Justine’s own blue eyes, a full head of black hair and lips Justine would swear looks just like a rosebud. For now, that little car filled with three—almost four—generations flew” (37),
But like smoke, and like the landscape her characters traverse, she lingers. A few of the stories in Crooked Hallelujah are fascinating; my personal favorites are “Book of the Generations” and “The Care and Feeding of Goldfish,” but “What Good Is an Ark to a Fish,” the last story, is a good standalone. I’m glad I read the book, even if it wasn’t particularly compelling, and I would not refuse her novels in the future.
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Minor: Police brutality and Religious bigotry
beetsnotbombs's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Infidelity
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage