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bookishcori's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
Moderate: Addiction, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion
emilyc19's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Rape
generalalarm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This novel is auto-fiction, reading a lot like a memoir. It's a first-person narration of a depressed, self-destructive woman's flight from her husband and newborn daughter. The novel explores her family history through letters her mother wrote and a chapter on her father's time in the Manson family cult. The book contrasts the poverty, addiction, and tragedy with which she grew up, with her own discomfort and unhappiness in her privileged life. The prose is somehow both pared back and straight to the point while making gorgeous use of lush words and highly specific descriptions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
breanamichele's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
teresareads's review against another edition
I loved the weirdness of the beginning, but it gets tedious fast. The Manson section is hard to follow, and I got bogged down there. And, although I can appreciate the value of messy women telling their stories, these stories seem to be dominating literary fiction today, and I'm kind of bored with them. And the meandering nature of this narrative doesn't help much. There's nothing here, aside from the title, to keep me engaged.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Suicide