rubybeast47's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Child death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Slavery, and Suicide
professorbadger's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a strange, gorgeous, poetic book. Also incredibly difficult, but in ways that felt like they mattered. As one character tells another (paraphrasing): “You lived all this. The least I can do is listen to your story.”
This book is full of the kinds of stories we hate to believe happen in real life. But Cynthia Bond lived some of them and worked with teens who have lived others, and you can feel the truth of it all radiating out from her writing. And I really can’t overstate the beauty of Bond’s writing and the way she created a fully detailed world and living, breathing characters. Agonizing as it was to read, it was one of my favorite novels in a long time.
This book is full of the kinds of stories we hate to believe happen in real life. But Cynthia Bond lived some of them and worked with teens who have lived others, and you can feel the truth of it all radiating out from her writing. And I really can’t overstate the beauty of Bond’s writing and the way she created a fully detailed world and living, breathing characters. Agonizing as it was to read, it was one of my favorite novels in a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Trafficking, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Pedophilia
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