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uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Confinement, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness, Vomit, Trafficking, and Pregnancy
pawtuckawaykrm's review against another edition
Graphic: Genocide and Sexual assault
kelly_jeanne's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kaylaannsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
Moderate: Terminal illness and Suicide attempt
emeister3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The second half of the book is much better than the first. The first 50% of the book alternates between 3 different female POVs and, as a result, I kept pinging between 3 different feelings - boredom, sadness, and shock. It had me feeling so downtrodden that I didn’t want to finish it. However…these atrocities are a part of history. They happened to real humans and, tragically, were committed by real humans. And their stories deserve to be heard, then to never happen again. As Norman Cousins wrote, “…what is told here is not a glimpse into the bowels of an imaginary hell but part of our world.”
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
jdonner's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
meg_elyse'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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Deportation
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Colonisation
saliwali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
ireri'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? No
4.5
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and War
nicole1832's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
The three point of views interested me at first, but by the end of the book, I was only interested in one of them. Caroline's socialite life felt vapid compared to the hardships Kasia went through, and reading about Herta became uncomfortable by the latter part of the book. I had a hard time understanding how Caroline's and Herta's POVs justified their presence in the context of the overall story, which was at its heart really about Kasia. (Side note: the cover of this book is *very* misleading. It implies that the three POV characters eventually become friends. That is very much not the case.)
The book seems to want to be an examination of the emotions of these three women, but it always seemed to back away when things got most interesting. This was clearest in Herta's POV - she went from being horrified at what was happening at the camps to being complicit in it at what felt like breakneck speed. I understand not wanting to delve into a Nazi's POV, but if you're not going to fully explore it, why bother giving her a POV at all?
Meanwhile, Caroline's behavior and attitudes toward her romance arc were hard to understand. Her arc became frustrating to read toward the end and ultimately felt unnecessary. And Kasia had problems with PTSD and anger later in life that were glossed over and ultimately resolved in a way that felt insultingly simplified.
On top of all that, the writing felt trite and amateurish, easy to read but ultimately failing to create any kind of mood. (And this book had some of the dullest hetero romances possible.)
I was interested in the first half, simply because WWII stories, and stories about the horrors of the concentration camps, will always be powerful. But the importance of the historical subject matter is really all the book has going for it, in my opinion.
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Torture, War, and Injury/Injury detail