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owie_jowie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit
rose34's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Mental illness and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
raptorq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment
a_cera_t0ps'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? Yes
5.0
In alternating perspectives, our cast grows and shrinks.
The characters are well written. The book shows many of the different arguments/reasoning/stories without drowning out plot A or disrupting the collective pace of the story. The characters feel like real people, with real connections. While there is a crush and romantic connection, it never once cuts into the action. It only presents itself as a motive: a catalyst for an even and consistent amount of the story. The ending is realistic while still having a satisfying conclusion.
The Shusterman authors worked to gether to create a compelling dystopian story much in the same way George Orwell worked time and time to do. They wrote the book with a message. However, instead of creating an atmosphere of hopelessness, the Shustermans help to build a future, to show the fall out of if and when disaster passes. They don't water down (ha) the message, the importance, or the level of disaster, but they leave the reader with an enjoyable story. It's believable, even if extreme in nature.
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and War
zoejjj's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
There are things good about this book. I liked that the kids had to face decisions that made them “monsters” and how they dealt with that. I like the way stories interconnected. I like that the drought brought out the actual core of people making the good even better, pushing them to make the right choice.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Medical content
oliverreeds'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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kaidoz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Edit: I’ve realized a few things I’ve missed. There were a few points in the book where characters mentioned how bad communism was which I thought was so strange. It seemed forced and like a political statement when no one even asked for it. Also, the reason I stated that the cast of characters being diverse was complicated is because their personalities are diverse, but they really aren’t. The main girl and her brother are of unidentified origin for like half of the book, and they end up being like, a quarter Jamaican and the rest European. Another female character is also very light-skinned but I honestly couldn’t tell you what she is because it was so forgettable. I think Greek? Roman? The rest were completely white. Also I believe there was a singular mention of one of the male characters not liking men, but other than that gay people didn’t exist. No POC or LGBT people in California? This truly is a fiction novel. Anyways, I still thought the story was great, so I’m not changing my review or anything.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
I will be giving more detail on some of the warnings while withholding as many spoilers as I can. I’ll label them. Car accident (very minor spoilers):