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toffishay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The book is explicit that in a situation like this, there are no heroes. There are people hurting and healing and hurting all over again. Life is both paused and unending in a time of isolation and confinement. While not being heroes, the names characters that we do follow help connect with the world and give you something to hold onto in the midst of a huge collective event. Dr. Rieux especially won't get out of my head, but all of the characters are complex and layered. Through their inner thoughts and especially through their interactions with each other and their community, you see the tiny ways that people seek control, connection, or commiseration in the midst of death where everything, even the next day is uncertain.
What I have come to like about Camus, that I think could turn people away or be very polarizing, is that he offers a very particular brand of hope. His books, this one included, have a theme of the necessity of human hope. We are looking for distractions, but that can only get us so far and often alienate us from our true selves. Hope offers a window for something new and encourages you to fight for what matters, but hope doesn't always mean that things will be better. There will be pain again. There will be death again. All we can do is work through it and find what's worth fighting for.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gun violence, Xenophobia, Excrement, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War
clstrifes'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
5.0
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Mass/school shootings
woundedhouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic
etherealisnt's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I haven't read something like this in a long while, so I'm thankful to our literature teacher for having us read it. I was a bit skeptical of the story at first, but soon I was into it and ready for more :D
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Medical content
risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
fixesofia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Medical content and Pandemic/Epidemic
maddalenacesco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic
nadir's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Terminal illness and Medical content
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Grief, and Suicide attempt
directorpurry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, and Medical content
changbineyeskz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death