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kathleenivy'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: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, and Miscarriage
lesbianlis'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: Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting
kelisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
elwhits'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Torture
Minor: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Vomit, and Lesbophobia
apollinares's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Frida isn't a likeable character. She's convinced us of it on page one, and she's convinced herself of it long before. As someone whose mother made mistakes she deeply regrets, and as someone who has had many conversations with her about what those mistakes did to both of us, I genuinely feel for Frida. I've seen other reviews condemn her, and it's really interesting to me where a reader would draw the line on what they find unacceptable in a parent, and how much they're willing to dehumanise a mother/discredit her emotional needs, when they learn the mother has made a mistake that caused her child harm. I'm not trying to excuse abuse, it's just fascinating how quickly someone's empathy for a person, and their sense of nuance, disappears when the person in the wrong is a parent. I mean, people are rating the book lower because the protagonist has done something wrong and that makes the book supposedly bad. The point is right there, guys, come on...
The way blame is placed in the book is interesting to me, too - how the women are treated as irredeemable, and how the state would rather interfere once harm has been caused (and arguably proceed to traumatise the child even more) than offer parents mental health support before mistakes like this can occur. It's infuriating to experience and to process, and when the fathers were introduced, I became so much angrier knowing how much easier they supposedly have it.
The ending is tragic and inevitable. I don't know how else Chan could have ended this book. Frida's unravelling is addicting, and sad, and I couldn't look away the whole time.
Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
ksomers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
HATED pretty much all of the characters - at times I felt empathetic towards Frieda but her actions and words at some points just really annoyed me. I didn’t find myself cheering for her in the end and I think I had hoped to have that.
Great commentary on the expectations of mothers by society and how they differ from the expectations of fathers.
Overall would recommend the book!
Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment
alliecat1915's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Biphobia, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
islabjb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and War
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Classism
alisonvh'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Rape, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol
laynemandros'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
3.25
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism