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hannah_cogo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Murder, Police brutality, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Incest
wetdirtreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Incest, Sexism, Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Car accident, Grief, and War
tahsintries's review against another edition
Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Sexual content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Incest, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Confinement, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Xenophobia, Classism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Infidelity
kibiiiariii'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Death, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy
miaaa_lenaaa'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: Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, Classism, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Body horror, Colonisation, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Vomit
ireeeeeene'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
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Blood, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Incest, Death of parent, and Vomit
stephward94'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
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Murder
jellyparfum's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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: Blood, Murder, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death, Hate crime, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, Incest, Abandonment, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, and Sexual violence
marisacarpico's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
That said there are certain descriptions that were striking in their beauty or specificity. A description of a house as being like a sunken thing near the end especially made me pause. Mostly, though, the language is in service of a sort of grotesquery, a bluntness about life that’s as impossible to deny away from as what happens here.
I guessed the central family secret incorrectly (though it’s perhaps more accurate to say I placed it in the wrong part of the story), but the eventual reveal is such a powerful mix of both tragedy and cultural/historical specificity. And those last chapters are a big part of what give that central trauma and the surprisingly beautiful note. The books ends on its impact.
I will say, though I still don’t like stream of consciousness from moment to moment, I do think the structure here is astounding. Not just the way it ends, but the whole theater-going section, for instance, or they way things just build and build so that when everything is revealed, it all feels so inevitable, all of it flowing brilliantly from the characters and world Roy has shown us.
Truly, I did not enjoy the act of reading this book almost at all, but I certainly can’t deny the craft.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Vomit, Violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Racism, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Death, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Grief, Murder, and Incest
rcsreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
No-one has ever made sex or food sound so disgusting. Also, none of the gross sex descriptions are actually necessary to the story.
I mainly kept going because the narrator on the audio book had such a calming voice.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Excrement, Child death, Sexual assault, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Violence, Rape, Racial slurs, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Child abuse, and Pedophilia