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random19379's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, and Suicide
Minor: Child death and Rape
cjordahl's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's a beautiful, touching novel with gorgeous poetic writing. I was sometimes tripped up by the word choices and sentence structures. But it's a small complaint, really. And maybe it's not truly a complaint, and more an observation of something I actually value, which is unique, surprising writing. That kind of writing requires extra effort from the reader, and must give a payoff for the effort, which this novel does. Might be worth 5 stars, but I'm giving 4 because it didn't fully capture me like my favorite 5-star reads do. I didn't always feel eager to get back to the book, and during reading I did sometimes find my mind wandering. These complaints are not as big as they might sound though! Especially the mind wandering -- the book requires, and rewards, effort and attention, and fills you up, and I think the best way to read this book is to recognize when it's best to put it down.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Police brutality
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