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emmagreenwood's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
hello_lovely13's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
This was so unbelievably good! I loved all of the characters, and I was surprised on how funny this was! Lucy in particular had me absolutely CACKLING! In the beginning, I thought that there would be a different twist at the end revealed (the first few chapters talked so much about Linus and his umbrella that I thought that Linus was secretly a magical creature but didn't know it and his power had something to do with his umbrella, but it turned out I was wrong and the focus on the umbrella was just something that was weirdly mentioned a lot for no reason in the beginning and then never brought up again; maybe in one of the original drafts of the book it had more of a part to play that was eventually decided against? ), but I liked, and honestly preferred, the twist that was actually done as it is much more impactful (having a mundane human have his mind changed about how minorities are treated is much better than having him discover that he is actually part of the community and changing his views because the broken system now impacts him to a disadvantage as well ). The messaging is not subtle at all, but I still absolutely loved it. This has so many important things to say about how minorities are treated in a systemic way and how powerful and harmful prejudices can be, particularly when looking at children. It is particularly memorable when Arthur points out to Linus that the "orphanages" are just that in name because none of the children are ever adopted. This book is a found family dream, and I liked that the romance between Arthur and Linus is clearly a subplot because it puts the weight of the story where it is given the respect it deserves: with the children and the discussion about systemic oppression and prejudice (I cannot stop thinking about that scene with Lucy and Linus in the record store as well as the scene with all the children in the ice cream parlor; the trip to town with all the children all together stood out to me and was very well done). I don't typically like to read about children, but I LOVED all of them (Lucy was definitely my favorite, but the scenes Linus had with Sal always pulled at my heartstrings). This book did such a good job at balancing hopeful, heartwarming content with heartbreaking, serious scenes and messaging. I could go from laughing to crying (whether because something was so sweet or so sad). I was so sad when Linus left the island after discovering Arthur was actually a magical creature as well (I did like that this was included and that it was the twist; fuck the government for trying to make Linus spy on him after all they did him (especially that one guy on the committee) , and I was so happy when he returned, as well as the fact that he completely exposed the terrible practices of the government to the public after quitting . I adored this, and would recommend this to anyone!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Confinement
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
thebookaddict's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
🇳🇱: Wat een leuk boek. Het was echt een boek met een mooie boodschap. Ik vond het zo mooi om te zien hoe deze kinderen langzamerhand werden geaccepteere. Alle personages waren zo mooi beschreven en ze paste allemaal zo goed bij elkaar. Ik ben wel van mening dat sommig taalgebruik niet thuishoort in een kinderboek, maar dit was verder niet storend. Het is een dik boek , maar het hield heel goed mijn aandacht vast. Doordat het zo goed geschreven is vlieg je erdoorheen.
🇬🇧: What a nice book. It really was a book with a beautiful message. I thought it was so beautiful to see how these children were gradually accepted. All the characters were written so beautifully and they all fit together so well. I do believe that some language does not belong in a children's book, but this was not disturbing. It's a long book, but it held my attention very well. Because it is so well written you can fly through it.
🇬🇧: What a nice book. It really was a book with a beautiful message. I thought it was so beautiful to see how these children were gradually accepted. All the characters were written so beautifully and they all fit together so well. I do believe that some language does not belong in a children's book, but this was not disturbing. It's a long book, but it held my attention very well. Because it is so well written you can fly through it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
scarlett_f's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Recommend for teens+. Pages: P. 156 'A vagina being penetrated by a penis.' P. 263 use of pot/marijuana. PP. 274, 276 'deft little bitch'. P. 363 '...shove demerits up his ass.' The Anti-Christ. Just some items to be aware of that may not be suitable for a younger age. Positive queer representation. Belonging, family, nature vs nurture, inclusion, acceptance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
fresh_tepid_snoozed's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
It's like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket, definitely a must read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, and Abandonment
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual content
eddieboy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Child abuse and Fire/Fire injury
julianh's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury
smleeth93's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Confinement, Violence, Cannibalism, and Religious bigotry
r0jona's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Self harm, and Death of parent
adrienanthony's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book as sweet as this one. The characters were so loveable and precious to me that I couldn’t go a page without smiling at their interactions. This is a new comfort read for me and I’ve recommended it to all of my friends.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
The main character has internalized fatphobia that is addressed as something to overcome in a route to self-love.