wild_mustang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
3.25
Pretty much just teen drama - sex, drugs, alcohol and depression. Oh, and trying to stay out of jail - but to be honest there wasn’t heaps of focus on the murder mystery. At least there wasn’t until the last 100 pages or so.
Personally, I didn’t really care for the romance sub-plots either.
The writing was also in a more juvenile voice than what I normally read, which makes sense because it’s first person perspectives from teenagers, but it took me a little while to get used to. Additionally, many of the plots were very trope heavy and painfully stereotypical at times
However, if was a very easy read and only took like 7hrs so it gets an average 3 star rating. The extra quarter of a star is an appreciation of some of the authors writing choices and the execution of perspective narrations to reveal relevant things in the intended literary light and at the right narrative time.
I recently studied Reader-Response Theory and I think, in this light, McManus did a very good job at writing for the implied reader (so the rating is bumped up), however, I really don’t think that I am the implied or intended reader (so it’s still a fairly average rating).
To take a strategic leaf from Simon’s tumblr…
JT recommended this to me and I’m not mad I read it but I certainly don’t care to continue the series.
Graphic: Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Outing
Moderate: Alcoholism, Violence, Cursing, and Homophobia
Minor: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Vomit, Abandonment, Sexual content, Cancer, Car accident, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, and Self harm
synkdive'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: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Homophobia, Bullying, Vomit, and Suicide
Minor: Cursing
bookedbymadeline's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Outing
Moderate: Homophobia, Cancer, Addiction, Mental illness, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, and Suicide
Minor: Car accident, Vomit, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
inkycat'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
5.0
Graphic: Drug use and Suicide
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Grief, Outing, and Homophobia
Minor: Gun violence and Vomit
olive_lol'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Outing and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Vomit, Cursing, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Mass/school shootings
biancadragomir'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: Death of parent, Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Vomit
Minor: Drug use
zsometimesreads'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Suicide
Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Addiction
Minor: Gun violence and Vomit
rae42'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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Outing
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Self harm
Minor: Car accident and Vomit
taylorsevalia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, and Terminal illness
Minor: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, and Vomit
i1iad'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
Moderate: Vomit, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, Homophobia, Drug use, and Suicide