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hannah_cogo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
wetdirtreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Fatphobia, Incest, Sexism, Grief, Car accident, Abandonment, and War
tahsintries's review against another edition
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity
kibiiiariii'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
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
miaaa_lenaaa'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: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
ireeeeeene's review
- 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: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Incest, Vomit, and Death of parent
stephward94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, and Classism
jellyparfum'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
marisacarpico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
That said there are certain descriptions that were striking in their beauty or specificity. A description of a house as being like a sunken thing near the end especially made me pause. Mostly, though, the language is in service of a sort of grotesquery, a bluntness about life that’s as impossible to deny away from as what happens here.
I guessed the central family secret incorrectly (though it’s perhaps more accurate to say I placed it in the wrong part of the story), but the eventual reveal is such a powerful mix of both tragedy and cultural/historical specificity. And those last chapters are a big part of what give that central trauma and the surprisingly beautiful note. The books ends on its impact.
I will say, though I still don’t like stream of consciousness from moment to moment, I do think the structure here is astounding. Not just the way it ends, but the whole theater-going section, for instance, or they way things just build and build so that when everything is revealed, it all feels so inevitable, all of it flowing brilliantly from the characters and world Roy has shown us.
Truly, I did not enjoy the act of reading this book almost at all, but I certainly can’t deny the craft.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder
rcsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
No-one has ever made sex or food sound so disgusting. Also, none of the gross sex descriptions are actually necessary to the story.
I mainly kept going because the narrator on the audio book had such a calming voice.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail