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mostlykenny'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, and Classism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
mogojojo1013'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: Bullying, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Gun violence, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
wanderlust_romance'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Racism, Outing, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
emily_mh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Outing, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Major: three uses of the n-slur, eugenics Moderate: imprisoned loved one, capital punishment Minor: disownment, toxic masculinity, texturism, sick loved one, suicidal ideation, disordered eatingthe_true_monroe'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
4.25
Definitely a psychological thriller, with similar vibes to ‘Get Out’ (although both are completely different stories focusing on different aspects of horrors related to racism).
4 stars because there was a lot I wish was expanded upon, like a follow-up on characters such a Belle, Scotty, Andre and Jack.
Also, I absolutely love how on the author’s websites there is art depicting the major characters. I have a hard time visualizing things based on descriptions and that really helped! I only found it writing this review since I went searching for one of the character’s names.
I really enjoyed the author’s note, which mentions how the book was written over the course of her college career which is very symbolic to the course of the story.
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Fire/Fire injury
lotoblanco'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, and Grief
cocopeters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug use and Suicide attempt
m0rdred_the_fallen's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Mi niño, tú no estás en esta escuela porque tu padre y yo tengamos dinero, sino porqué te tallas el lomo todos los días. El día que dejes de hacerlo, todo esto se va
Es una cruda verdad que los problemas que enfrentan los protagonistas sigan tan presentes y que, parafraseando a Chiamaka, les molesta más que les digas que son racistas al racismo en sí mismo; y se puede decir lo mismo de la homophobia, del clasismo, de los juegos de poder enfermos de estos grupos de odio. Aún cuando se nota que muy en el fondo saben que lo que hacen está mal, es un pobre consuelo para cuando usan su poder y sus recursos para atacar a inocentes. Tristemente, cuando el virus del fanatismo llega a la cabeza no hay nada que pueda hacerse por esa persona sino huir, pues el fanatismo y la estupidez nunca afectan a los que lo tienen, sino a aquellos que les rodean. Y lo peor del caso es lo compenetrado que está el sistema de ello, este sistema que no sólo promueve y protege actos de odio irracional; los demanda para seguir funcionando. El mundo moderno está construido sobre la sangre de generación tras generación de inocentes para el beneficio de unos pocos que se creen con derecho a todo.
En esta lectura sólo hubo una cosa que me dejó con ganas de más:
Que haya sido un grupo de manifestantes quienes los salven al último tiene mayor peso porque es una comunidad que los acoge y protege, en lugar un individuo de una clase opresora que tuvo una crisis de conciencia. Eso, estuvo genial.
Lo recomendaria 10/10
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Car accident, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug use, Gore, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
spooderman'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Eating disorder and Pregnancy
jen1804'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? It's complicated
5.0
***********************************
This is one of those books which I think will stay with me forever. It’s a gossip girl/pretty little liars/get out vibe, dark academia story, which features the scary possibilities that institutionalised racism can demonstrate.
This is a suspenseful thriller with an excellent plot and well developed characters who have realistic feelings and emotions. I found the whole thing rather reflective, making me think about my own white privilege. There are some absolutely chilling moments and I gave some audible gasps.
In my heart I hope that the sick, calculated and wide spread hatred represented in this book is completely and utterly fiction, but I know that it does indeed highlight the racism that is still very much a prominent thing of this century. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé does a fantastic job of demonstrating the everyday issues that those existing in darker skinned bodies must deal with, whilst also elaborating on it in a more dramatic way through the social commentary of institutionalised racism within a high school.
The pacing of the novel was perfect and I felt engaged all the way through. I also enjoyed the exploration of the LGBTQ+ difficulties and especially how it intertwined with race and culture.
Check trigger warnings before reading as this book covers a lot, but it does so in the best possible way.
Satisfactory ending? Yes.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting