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siobhanward's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Moderate: Terminal illness and Dementia
avisreadsandreads'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? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Suicide, Car accident, and War
phoevincent'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
4.5
Graphic: Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
aseel_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really liked the way this was written, in the repetitive way of stating facts that advanced the plot, pretty unique and very easy to understand.
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and Racism
angela_iseli'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Dementia, and Death of parent
annie_crossings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Dementia
Moderate: Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Mass/school shootings
rainbowarpaint'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent
enlamont's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness and Dementia
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Infertility, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
flower_mail'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
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Confinement and War
Minor: Child death
knkoch's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
The second half felt quite different, and while I appreciated the deeper characterization and focus on Alice, it felt jarring to shift away from the pool and what Otsuka seemed to be building earlier in the book. I guess the best interpretation I could see for these two very different halves coming together is
I did like that Otsuka had a strong sense of style in her writing, and that she went to unexpected places in the story. I liked the use of second person, and in general the shifting sense of both vague and character-specific narration. I think I would try another book by her, as I'm finding that more compelling these days than sheer plot.
Graphic: Terminal illness and Forced institutionalization
Terminal illness: