bebidocrimes'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
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Blood, Grief, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/injury detail, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide
obviousthings's review against another edition
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Racism, Child death, Slavery, Violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Pedophilia
izwit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide, Injury/injury detail, Murder, and Racism
erynelle'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Racism, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, and Suicide
thenonbinaryc's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Slavery, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Murder, and Suicide
reading_rainbows's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Injury/injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abandonment, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Child abuse, and Death
professorbadger'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? It's complicated
5.0
This book needs all the trigger warnings. I don’t trust myself to catch them all in the drop-down lists below. But it’s also lyrical and emotionally insightful and has enough action to keep the plot moving.
Very rarely, as I’m reading a novel I will get a feeling that it rises above “normal novel” and becomes “art.” This was one of those rare books. It’s partly for the sheer beauty of some of the language — I copied down a few passages that I found so poetic and insightful that I wanted to keep them for later re-reading. But it also has a lot to say on identity, on family, on race, on coping with unbearable circumstances, and so much more. As in life, no one is purely good or purely bad — even the few pure villains are given a small bit of depth and humanity — and there is so much to think about in terms of narrative themes and characterization. Meanwhile, though, it was also just a good story, even for lowbrow types like me who enjoy a novel without stopping to think deep thoughts about theme and metaphor and whatnot. Highly recommended!
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, and Suicide