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mollybryann's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
“When I was first married to Earl, he often took pleasure in teaching me things that I had not known. Once, he explained to me about the Mohs scale, which was used to test the hardness of minerals and gems. Diamond is the hardest, he said, and diamond can scratch any gem on the scale, but every other gem can leave only a scrape on those softer than itself. None of them would do anything to a diamond. Perhaps I was born a material different from my parents. I was born a hard person, harder than most people in my life, so I have only myself to blame when I cannot feel the love of others, my parents among them. Love from those who cannot damage us irreparably often feels insufficient; we may think, rightly or wrongly, that their love does not matter at all.” “But her personality, I now understand, was impaired by her desire to be good and to be right. To be good was in her nature. She took genuine pleasure in being good. However, where does the desire to be right lead one, if not to the wrong place? Knowing Mrs. Townsend's mind and speaking on her behalf-these Catalina did with perfect ease and confidence, as she must have spoken on behalf of other authorities before Woodsway, and would continue to do so after Woodsway. I was too young then to dread a person like her. I have since encountered other versions of Catalina; each time I have to reeducate myself in avoiding people's good intentions.”graceesford's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Classism
heatherjchin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism
madelonpaige's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic friendship
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic friendship
hilaryreadsbooks's review against another edition
4.0
In a small, rural town of France, two girls, Agnès and Fabienne, create their own private worlds. Fabienne—willful, unruly, and unsettling to all but Agnès—dreams up games and imaginary experiences that reality can’t hold, and Agnès follows along dutifully and with a strange obsessiveness. Eventually, Fabienne dreams up a new game, writing a book filled with morbid tales, a game that will have startling effects in the real world and send Agnès on a whirlwind adventure based upon deceit and lies.
I loved Li’s different portrayals of exploitation. There’s exploitation of children by adults, both by the public and in private. There’s exploitation of children by children. And there’s also the exploitation of cold, cold reality on childlike dreams—a coming-of-age, you can say, or the most terrible way to realize that magic and happy endings and the complete freedom to stretch out are never real.
Pick up if you’re interested in sharp psychological unravelings, a strong narrative voice, and perhaps Ishiguro’s THE REMAINS OF THE DAY.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child death and War