ericascollard'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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Injury/injury detail, and Self harm
lanamyersgf'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
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence
katieribbon's review against another edition
the writing style wasn´t it for me.
i felt so disconnected from the main character, it was boring, awfully slow, and irritating i couldn´t finish it.
Charlie didn´t really have other personality traits other than her trauma and perhaps that was what made her feel inauthentic or realistic.
i also feel like there isn´t truly a plot or it´s confusing.
it´s also so triggering and gives ideas of how to self-harm while claiming to be a book that enlightens or makes people who self-harm feel more seen.
Graphic: Suicide, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Injury/injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
brynhayes'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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Injury/injury detail, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcohol
mirrorballrs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Trafficking, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/injury detail, Sexual violence, Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault
goldkatze'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Drug use, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Death, and Drug abuse
Minor: Death, Vomit, Blood, Car accident, Rape, and Terminal illness
mimamia'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: Toxic relationship, Self harm, Injury/injury detail, Drug abuse, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Suicide, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol
alyssa_20288'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? It's complicated
5.0
Spoiler
I wish there was a second book to talk more about Riley! Charlie had such good development as well.Moderate: Self harm, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Alcohol, Cursing, and Blood
reiley_61'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
4.25
I read this book tirelessly because I wanted to escape from it. I wanted to get away from the pain and suffering. I needed to see a spark of hope. And I feel as if I can’t rate this book because I want to give it five stars and I want to give it one star and I can’t decide because my heart is racing so fast and my eyes are burning and I’m shaking but I’m sitting here, writing this review, even though I can’t rate this book. But this review will be very vulnerable. Because one thing this book taught me is that you don’t need to be ashamed of your past.
“I’d just never seen a girl with skin like mine.”
I had to pause when I read this line. Because you hear about. You hear about other people. But actually witnessing it, realizing that someone else has the same struggles that you’ve dealt with, sends a wave of comfort, of reassurance, that “Hey, maybe I’m not alone in this big, big world.” Charlie’s life was not like mine. I understand how privileged I am. I can’t even begin to imagine the horrors she saw, and I had to close the pages multiple times to recover. But even with this, I saw myself in parts of her story. She has skin like mine.
“There are so many things wrong with you and it doesn’t matter.”
The words Charlie wanted to hear most in the world. The words she never really heard, but there were times when she felt them. As she healed, as she found love, the real kind. But with the search for love comes mistakes. One of those major mistakes was Riley West. Riley was flawed. Every character in this book was flawed. But none of them were flawed beyond repair. Which was maybe the thing I loved most. The proof that healing is possible. Things can get better.
“Riley will hold me, keep all my bad things in. He can do that, at least for right now, right?”
Riley is bad for Charlie. Charlie is bad for Riley. They are both so desperate for healing that they end up making each other work. Two hurt people do not make a whole person, as Riley once believed. Their relationship was gasping for acceptance and support from the other person, but neither of them had enough to spare. They were barely holding each other up. Yet they were so drawn to each other. It was a process for Charlie to cut Riley out, still missing him, even through all the mistakes he made, even after he’d told her, “No.” And it was so strong of her to leave during the tribute. To refrain from returning to her past. Two broken people healing together typically leads back to more brokenness.
However, that is not the case with Blue.
“We have to hold onto each other, Charlie… We can’t let go.”
After Blue’s breaking point, after she realized how far things can really go, she made a 180 shift to the present. Back to her life. Back to the life she wanted to live. And then she lived it. And she and Charlie made each other better. Because they were there for support. They were changed, and they knew it. And I personally believe that everyone needs a Blue. They are the found family trope. I hope they continued to love each other, even after Charlie moved. Actually, I don’t hope. I know they did. That kind of bond cannot be broken.
“I have a voice. I have a place for my voice.”
This book was all about the importance of expressing your voice. Of having an outlet. A creative outlet. A healthy outlet. The outlet that each character found was the turning point in their life. My outlet is reading. Outlets are necessary. Outlets need to be talked about more. Outlets can save a life, which was shown so many times in this. And that is so important.
“Because even that small kindness, even for such a brief time--it was something.”
The final thing I will be discussing, though there are so many other things I could speak on, was the importance of small acts of kindness. How the small things were what got Charlie through her worst days. And the big acts of kindness as well. Everyone needs love. This is indisputable. But some people have been deprived of it for so long that they have learned to function without it. That doesn’t make it any less important. In fact, it makes it even more important. It makes the good kind of love important. But when people are love-starved, they will take anything they can get, even if it’s the most gut-wrenching, toxic kind of love they can get. Because without it, they will most likely die. So the message I got out was to always show people the good kind of love. The kind of love Charlie Davis needed. The kind of love we all need.
Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Cursing, Grief, Medical content, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Addiction, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide
naiu_cs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Self harm, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Grief, Injury/injury detail, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident, Sexual content, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault