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charmarie'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: Suicide
Moderate: Sexual assault
linda_ws's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, Cannibalism, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Pregnancy
bitterpearl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
grankottekarin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
There were so many bad things constantly happening that you got kind of numb to it - but then again there's some meaning in that too
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Vomit
biglibraryenergy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Gore and Cannibalism
Minor: Sexual assault
hnolen1's review against another edition
3.75
This book was a very fast read, and seems a bit topical here at the end of 2023. I enjoyed the language and descriptions, but I absolutely had nightmares from it.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Cannibalism
karmkeigh'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? No
3.25
Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Child death and Grief
cstein's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Cursing, and Terminal illness
Minor: Ableism
coolfijiwater's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
childofmongreldogs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There are some questions, though. While the boy's age isn't really stated, he seems to be very young in the ways in which he interacts with the world. It makes me wonder about what the world was like when he was small. He clearly understood how bleak everything was (the one question about his mother's disappearance) but he also seemed remarkably sheltered in other ways. The absence of most punctuation lacks clarity in a way that is more confusing than poignant. I will also say that it felt like none of this book was planned. Things happen, the characters react or underreact. There seems to be no direction. I don't know if it's reading into it to say that that might have been intentional since the two of them are wandering aimlessly with no plans beyond survival.
I still like The Road, however; I found that the minimalist way that it's been written really adds to the ambiance. There's a certain void to it, an empty flatness, that's reinforced by the stark punctuation and dialogue between the man and the boy. The stark contrast between the emptiness of the narrative that's pretty much void of description and the "purple prose" that seems to originate from a different perspective was an interesting choice. I actually enjoyed the characters and thought they did have a very strong personality between the two of them though I noticed some reviewers didn't see that.
Overall, lovely prose, painful emotions, and a heartbreaking ending that leaves the reader with the same sense of mystery made it a lovely read for me. I liked that the questions remained unasked and the novel refused to answer them.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail