babieyunie's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Police brutality, Bullying, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Violence, Racism, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment
mblanke'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Child abuse, and Child death
Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, and Homophobia
bookcaptivated's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism
emakay'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
nibs's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was painful to read, but I knew that going in. It is so well-crafted - it could be twice the length if it wanted to be, there are so many stories to tell and the characters are so fleshed out - but condensing it makes it pack more of a punch. Elwood's fierce hope in people and justice is so relatable and powerful, with the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jnr echoing through his head. But we also relate to Turner's lack of trust in anyone, since when the world is against you that seems to be the safest option.
In the end, powerful people exert their power on vulnerable people, and they either don't realise, don't care or relish in it. And that is still very much happening today. American segregation is gone, but racism and the systemic echoes of it still exist.
When I first started reading it, I was so upset by the injustice of the whole situation. But as I got engrossed in the book, it switched to more directly empathising with the characters and their immediate emotions, which hits you in a different way.
Graphic: Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Body horror