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marloesisalive'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: Homophobia, Suicide, and Murder
Moderate: Vomit and Death of parent
Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, and Pregnancy
bestturnip's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The constant switch up in writing perspectives and styles
Marx and his chapters hit home the most for me - despite making him the obvious "likeable" character while Sadie and Sam's flaws were obviously meant to be a main focus.
Some of the word choices in the prose (not only character dialogue) felt a bit over the top and like the author wanted to remind you how smart, not only the characters, but she was.
I absolutely hated
The passages from Marx's POV
Overall there were some really emotional and resonant scenes, and the references to theatre, art, and games were typically well thought out and had a place in the story. I wish that this book had a better idea of exactly what it was about, so our throughlines didn't get so muddled.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
chloel29's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
kjlewis494'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
3.5
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Vomit, and Abortion
jaduhluhdabooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I recently read (in a book that I hilariously rated 1 star) a quote on suffering that basically read in summary, just because one is accustom to suffering doesn’t mean they always have to. And at first I thought this was stupid, because no person would choose suffering and the choice is not in the hands of those who encounter it. But that’s not always true, nor is it always truthful…. What I mean by that and what I found with these characters doing often is fixating on (unresolved and unheard) wounds of tragedy and self articulation. These moments that happened to them, defined parts of themselves that inevitably drove their relationships and their focal points in life. Obviously, that’s not profound because that’s relatively the human existence, but what I think Gabrielle does so well is even the playing field of fiction and humanity. Fiction is on this higher plane of “semi relational” and “this only happens in a book”. This novel is almost to on the nose with the existence of life lived in relationship with pain and grief. Even Marx, who I would argue was the first one to not choose suffering in the end, and it set him free, very much shows this narrative of altruism and decay. It’s an excellent contrast throughout the book and I just can’t wrap my head around it entirely yet, but it’s sitting with me.
I know that’s morbid, buts it’s true. Sadie and Sam are this feedback loop of pain and neither one are willing to disrupt the cycle to seek out a potential, otherworldly circumstance of good, that maybe, just maybe, would result in…more good. I think Sadie tries, but the reality is that a loop can only break if it severs all ties with the end that it’s contributing shape to, and in the end, Sadie is just as unable to let go of the things and reminders just as much as Sam. But isn’t that the cycle trauma and the reality of life lived in relationship with pain? We greet grief and loss as a friend, and the choice of joy and happiness is fickle and ludicrous and downright stupid without considering the stipulations that drive the efforts of creating such a reality. A figment. A virtual. A game. And that’s where they seemed to go to create such understandings in themselves and of the world.
I’m rambling. Basically. It’s hauntingly beautiful. A codependent masterpiece of broken people, in a savage world, seeking their next escape in each other, even if they’re estranged. Their actions are driven by the potential connection with the other and it maddeningly hits so close to home.
I could talk about so much more. The representation of chronic pain and life lived disabled and how well that represented and depicted. The translations of grief and toxic relationships. the nuance of race and racism, misogyny both external and internal, and the search for belonging through two different decades of American histories. The beauty of gaming and the creativity of the story. I could. But I’ve said too much already.
Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Abortion
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.aseppa'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: Ableism, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
intrepid_bibliophile's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Classism
saskiahill's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
More detailed trigger warning:ellieworm'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
4.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Suicide, and Car accident
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Antisemitism