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rnbhargava'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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Triggers are either actively in there or suggested somewhere throughout the book. I honestly might have missed some but I really enjoyed this book and its depiction of the years shown and how Zevin’s characters lived through those times.brlylcl'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
4.5
Moderate: Death
Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
ksfinnerty'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
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Vomit, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Abortion
Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, and Antisemitism
kjm19'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
4.5
It was the perfect combination of smart, emotional and uplifting. The characters are flawed but whole, their lives are complicated as are their relationships. The shifting timeline was done flawlessly. It felt like no time was passing at all because I was so wholly immersed in the experience.
I can’t see what the flaws are… I wish there was maybe a bit more change in their characters as time went on. I understand Sam was unchangeable and that Sadie was complicated and dont get me wrong, I love full circle moments, but there was just maybe something slightly lacking that makes it a 4.5 rather than a 5.
Honestly an amazing book and I will recommend it to so many people!
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
kaitlynnnng's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
At times, the storytelling was beautiful, and at other times, it seemed like it went on and on without purpose. Or, at least, I just didn’t really care as much as I wanted to. I’m not big into video games, so that could definitely be why.
I felt that the characters were realistic, and I appreciate that we got to see multiple sides of them over many years.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
ly555's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Mass/school shootings, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer, Eating disorder, Suicide, Blood, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Cultural appropriation
ju_harue'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: Abortion
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
lmfry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Vomit
leweylibrary'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
I think my favorite aspect that I don't think I've seen anyone talk about is how Sam is absolutely aro/ace and how much other characters struggle with understanding that. Like Sadie just could not get why Sam never made a move and why he couldn't say I love you. But the friendship love once he did say it to her was really sweet. Honestly Marx was probably my favorite character, he was just such a gem and a sweetie 🥹
I also love a book that ties everything together from the beginning into the end, I really do appreciate that. It makes the story feel complete even if these characters' lives aren't complete.
Quotes:
- Unless they were unreliable or clearly established as lunatics or scoundrels, characters in novels, movies, and games were meant to be taken at face value--the totality of what they did or what they said. But people--the ordinary, the decent and basically honest-- couldn't get through the day without that one indispensable bit of programming that allowed you to say one thing and mean, feel, or even do, another. (4)
- Sam could be ignored, but the childish shared reference could not be. It was an invitation to play. (34)
- What, after all, is a video game's subtextual preoccupation if not the erasure of mortality? (65)
- There is a time for any fledgling artist where one's taste exceeds one's abilities. The only way to get through this period is to make things anyway. (68)
- "It isn't a sadness, but a joy, that we don't do the same things for the lengths of our lives." (227)
- It occurred to Sadie: she had thought after Ichigo that she would never fail again. She had thought she arrived. But life was always arriving. There was always another gate to pass through. (228)
- Anyone who truly looked at Tuesday could not have possibly seen a coyote. But the woman had not truly looked, and the injustice of this hit him. Why was it acceptable for apparently well-meaning people to see the world in such a general way? (245)
- "The actual world is the random garbage fire it always is. There's not a goddamn thing I can do about the actual world's code." (331)
- "And what is love, in the end? Except the irrational desire to put evolutionary competitiveness aside in order to ease someone else's journey through life?" (355)
- For most of his life, Sam had found it difficult to say I love you. It was superior, he believed, to show love to those one loved. But now, it seemed like one of the easiest things in the world Sam could do. Why wouldn't you tell someone you loved them? Once you loved someone, you repeated it until they were tired of hearing it. You said it until it ceased to have meaning. Why not? Of course, you goddamn did. (384)
Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Antisemitism, Medical content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident and Cultural appropriation
rqs8236's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Violence