sockandkey's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Hate crime, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Ableism, Eating disorder, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Homophobia, Death of parent, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Self harm
sammirosewater'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: Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Bullying, Death, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Mental illness
rosequarterdrifting'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
3.75
Moderate: Body shaming and Fatphobia
Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Xenophobia
knunderb'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: Child abuse and Xenophobia
Minor: Mental illness
vee_the_tree'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
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, and Misogyny
faranae'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: Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Mental illness
Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
The book handles a wide range of potentially difficult topics with the lightest and gentlest of touches, so I think most of them will not pose a problem. However, Lucy's a bit morbid and has "spiders in his brain", and these elements recur frequently. There is a past confinement incident that is described in some detail towards the end of the book, but it is softened bySpoiler
knowing the person it happened to has already mostly healed from that trauma.artemis_rose_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? It's complicated
4.0
You are looking for something heartwarming about found family, celebrating bodily differences, with a gay romance between middle age men. It also shows that a mediocre person with privilege has the power and a responsibility to stand up for those harmed by institutions and racism.
You are looking for a story that completely and satisfactorily addresses the many ways that the Sixties Scoop harmed indigenous peoples, look elsewhere. It does put the responsibilities of fixing the problems onto the privileged, however they are made into a hero because their efforts are sadly rare.
With that it mind:
If you can understand that this book is unsatisfactory when it comes to properly addressing the many horrors of stealing and institutionalizing peoples because the people in power have decided that their birth families cannot care properly for their children. However it does a fairly decent job in showing the long term emotional and mental damage that this clauses in the children, but also the adults who have also had to live through this situation.
Does it solve everything and puts all the appropriate blame on the system and then fixes the problem? Nope, not even close. This is basically a love letter to the average person who does what is in their personal power to improve and protect the happiness of those who have been hurt by government and biases against the “other”.
Moderate: Bullying, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism
Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia
There is a lot of mentioning of potential triggers as it talks a lot about the traumas of foster care and a system purposely controlling underprivileged bodies and their rights. The current environment is safe, however all the children are battling the trauma from previous placements and this home is still under the control of the system. There is current bully and hate from the locals. Children also acting menacing/threatening death as a response to their previous traumas.rai'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? No
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Body shaming and Mental illness
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Violence, Torture, and Religious bigotry
jude7's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Cannibalism
carisamarie'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? No
4.0
Minor: Mental illness