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darlingbard'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 death, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse and Murder
Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent
mororke'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
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
ammr8973's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Alcohol, and Classism
reclusivebookslug'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? Yes
4.0
This novel encompasses for me the potential of the YA genre. Reading it again now as a college student with much more reading experience under my belt, it seems to me that this was a necessary predecessor to some of my other favorite YA novels (The Perks of Being a Wallflower in particular comes to mind). Coming-of-age stories are so important for people of all ages -- themes of self-discovery, learning to navigate the world around you, finding a place to belong, value formation, learning to empathize with people different from yourself, and dealing with new and difficult experiences will always be relevant.
I recently saw a clip of YA author John Green addressing criticism that real teenagers are not as well-spoken as those in his books. His response was that reflecting their internal sense of self and emotional reality was more important than being strictly realistic. Young people do not see themselves the way adults might. Their hopes and worries are real and important to them, no matter how trivial other people (i.e. unempathetic, out-of-touch adults) might think their problems and accomplishments are. I find this sentiment applicable to a lot of great YA fiction, including this book, which has also been accused of being unrealistic and melodramatic.
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent
melodyseestrees'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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Violence and Death of parent
katsusho_'s review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Violence
shayna_hadassah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Child abuse, Blood, and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
annalovesbookss's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism
Minor: Car accident and Death of parent
anastasiamakes'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
g4bby'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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Addiction, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail