kai_okay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Personally, I liked the first part better. I really enjoyed the backstory of the Riva family although I cried not just once. It started out so calm and simply escalated from there on.
I really liked how different the characters were, yet I could bring up sympathy for almost all of them. It was interesting - and devastating - to see how generational trauma unfolds.
The second part, in which the party finally takes place, reminded me of 'The Great Gatsby', so I was delighted to read in the Q&A in the end of my print version, that TJR was indeed inspired by it.
To be honest, I expected a much worse ending and was very happy that it played out that way.
All in all it is a great book with beautiful writing, a georgeous setting and interesting characters that deals with many serious topics.
Spoiler
TW: The book deals with alcoholism in a very detailed and emotional way./Spoiler
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
lovealwaysadi'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
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Abortion, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Medical content
mpeach'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: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, and Grief
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
_dina'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
3.75
I was really invested in both timelines and almost every storyline, the characters can be a bit flat sometimes but I loved their dynamic. The only I didn’t really like is Jay for some reason, but I could relate a lot to Nina.
A bit too much surfing for my taste though.
Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Addiction, Mental illness, Infidelity, Drug use, Sexism, Violence, Abandonment, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Eating disorder and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Car accident
daringreader13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Alcohol, Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Abortion, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
odette_tbdk'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
Nina Riva es la protagonista principal, y está muy bien desarrollada, la conocemos desde que nace hasta su edad actual, podemos ver como una sola noche puede cambiar tanto a una persona, como ella se cansa de complacer a la gente sin decir lo que realmente piensa, siempre poniendo a los demás por encima de sus propias necesidades.
Un punto malo que vería en el libro es que te introducen a muchos personajes, y aunque algunos si tienen relevancia en la historia, otros simplemente no vuelven a aparecer, o hasta vemos su punto de vista en varias secciones del libro, que realmente no es interesante y llega a ser tedioso cuando queremos saber qué pasó con los protagonistas.
En general, un libro con personajes femeninos muy bien desarrollados, una ambientación muy buena, y personajes de otros libros que en este podemos llegar a conocer a profundidad, como Mick Riva.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Abandonment, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Minor: Car accident, Eating disorder, and Racism
rkrausman'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? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Eating disorder and Death of parent
gzevs's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Death of parent, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder
ptitirodactyle'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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Gun violence, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Cursing, Body shaming, Blood, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Eating disorder
katywhyte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Eating disorder