Scan barcode
its_hanya'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
3.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, and Abortion
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Abandonment
slascano'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
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Medical content, and Abortion
The triggers are not explicit or graphic just presentbookishplantmom'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
4.0
Graphic: Miscarriage and Police brutality
Moderate: Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual assault
heisiiri'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
3.0
I think my main issue with this book was that it's one of those books that are quite depressing and grim, yet it still doesn't hit the feels enough. Like this isn't the kind of book I would cry over. The main character and narrator Edie seems to hold a certain emotional distance to everything that happens in her life, which can be an interesting character trait, but sometimes it also means that the scenes don't really impact the emotions of the reader either. It's a style choice that can really work for some readers, but it wasn't my cup of tea.
The best parts of this book are definitely the relationships between the female characters. I enjoyed the complexity and depth of Akila and Edie's relationship, and some of the scenes between Edie and Rebecca were great as well.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, and Police brutality
Minor: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Suicide, Death of parent, and Classism
xbernadette'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
3.0
Graphic: Sexual violence
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Racism
itsbumley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
thesawyerbean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
The actual premise was intriguing - the commencing few chapters were not particularly enthralling, but the pace did pick up later on in the novel. The portrayal of nihilistic self-destructive sex was raw and ugly, knitted together in a web of nuanced discussions on race, sexuality, feminism and capitalism which I found very interesting and affecting. These are the parts that dragged this book up in its rating.
However, I overall found this to be quite a slog to get through. I powered through the final half in one sitting, and the concluding chapters were immaculately done. But in the end I wasn’t particularly enthralled or interested in Edie as a character.
I stand by my appreciation for Leilani’s prose, and I finish my review with this quote that I found powerful:
I am inclined to pray, but on principle, I don’t. God is not for women. He is for the fruit. He makes you want and he makes you wicked, and while you sleep, he plants a seed in your womb that will be born just to die.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
onion's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Medical content, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Stalking, Pregnancy, and War
armontheroad's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Police brutality, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, and Sexual harassment
raynaaskiverr'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism