joeykills'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
3.0
Graphic: Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Violence, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Grief
syndierella'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? Yes
4.0
There is one queer character, Quentin, who forms part of the main storyline but his character is not developed as much as some of the other characters as the book progresses. Big spoilers ahead.
Spoiler
he only gets one chapter which is written from his perspective, in which you see him beginning to question his gender identity and also get introduced to the idea of meth/chem sex. Whereas other characters you meet that only have one or two chapters from their perspective (Zoe, Santiago, Anders) all show character development within those and you hear a resolution / see some character growth from them even through others, later in the novel. Whereas Quentin’s character is mostly ignored after his chapter early on until you learn from Cleo at the end that he got hooked on Meth and she doesn’t see him anymore. The gender identity point isn’t explored any further. I just thought it was really sad that the tropes of gay best friend and tragic ending for the only queer character were both employed in a book that deals well with topics of feminism, mental health and privilege including some commentary (albeit small) on race, including nuance within theseSpoiler
left her mother for a woman who in turn left him for another woman. This is then referred to throughout the rest of the novel as “he left you for a lesbian!”, with no comment/reference to the fact she might have been bi+, and it’s like some extra slight on her father not just that he left her mother for another woman but _for a “lesbian”_ as if the fact of her sexual orientation worsens his infidelity when obviously he wouldn’t have known that and maybe she didn’t either!Graphic: Suicide attempt
Moderate: Sexual harassment
mrjln's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
With this bad representation it would have been better if all characters were cis white.
Besides that it felt like reading about different kinds of rich white assholes that are addicted to drugs and destroy themselves and others and do not communicate with others.
I di understand where the hype comes from though, because I do like the style and it's intriguing to find out how all these mosaic pieces fit together.
Graphic: Alcohol and Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual harassment and Racial slurs
addie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Transphobia, Alcoholism, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Fatphobia, Abandonment, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
calicosun's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
- i liked that eleanor was in first person. it felt like we knew her intrinsically. she was the most ordinary and therefore she could speak to us directly
- i wish the sex was more descriptive
- i wish the self harm was too. i didn’t understand the gravity of the harm cleo had caused to herself until the mention of the scar that travelled from her write to her elbow.
- i liked that we got to know about frank’s 5, and queinten… all these people whose personal lives intertwined and segmented in fascinating fans of darkness and depth. the third person descriptions of the characters and their thoughts and feelings were done with so much clarity and vivid expression that made the reader really feel a connection to the character and their emotions.
- there was something about the segmented nature of eleanor’s sections that felt extremely personal,almost diaristic. there was a generosity to them that felt as though they weren’t meant for anyone else to read. i feel like the stars between sections represent lapses in time that also further this sense of a personal diary. that’s also why it feels so generous to. the idea that she has chosen to share so much of herself. releasing everything she writes her to everything outside of her control
- the resolve that the end was very satisfying
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicide
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence
tolu_odejide'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
4.0
Mellors writes in the modern style, I first encountered when I read “Girl. Woman. Other.” It’s pervasive, a book on my tbr list, “I’m a Fan” is also written in a similar style. Morally grey characters who make morally ambiguous decisions. Cheat on their partners, humiliate themselves in public and are never sober.
I can never read more than a couple of these books a year. They’re too modern. I prefer confronting my emotions through several layers of illusion. This one, was brilliant however.
The characters are well-crafted, written with such empathy that it’s easy to see yourself reflected back in them, even the bad bits. Frank’s story particularly resonated with me.
Theme exploration in this book felt like a caress. It felt like someone had dug deep underneath my defences and helped rearrange things. Finishing this felt like I’d shaken something out of a favourite coat. I understand myself better now.
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Self harm, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Dysphoria
Minor: Animal death
jj_99'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
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Animal death
utalit'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
4.25
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Drug abuse
leila_scola'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death, and Self harm
Minor: Drug abuse
ellieyy'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Self harm, Drug use, and Infidelity