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marcusbryan777's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
dizpig's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Classism
Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
vermethys'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
1.5
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Minor: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Abortion
jordan_noel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
There were a lot of moments I really loved in this book, but they always got ruined by the extremely sexed-up characters. Potentially serious discussions about suicidal ideation and the characters’ trauma gets overshadowed by the unnecessary and overly sexual relationships between the three main characters. Characters didn’t seem to care about each other beyond romantic attraction and there wasn’t much personality in them aside from their mental illness. Characters seemed to be attracted to each other solely because of their mental illness, appearance, and just plain presence.
Additionally, the characters just didn’t feel that different to me. They spoke the same and unless I was really paying attention to who’s talking or the character was explaining something about their past, I often had no idea which one was talking.
Lastly, I had some qualms about the way the facility and the therapists were portrayed. Was the facility juvie or a mental center? The therapists felt like they were brainwashing the patients rather than trying to help them and it wasn’t portrayed too negatively. While I feel Ellen Hopkins writes about the emotions of the more extreme difficulties of life effectively, I don’t think she handles the healing part so well. It just felt unrealistic and aimless, both for the characters that had happy endings and somehow also those that didn’t.
I felt that this book had the potential to be really great, but these parts just kind of ruined it for me.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abandonment
erinwolf1997's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Terminal illness, and Islamophobia
bookishchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide
Moderate: Pedophilia and Abortion
Minor: Drug abuse, Violence, and Religious bigotry
tristaod14'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
4.75
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Abortion
wama'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abortion, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
The romance subplot felt forced and unnecessary to me but other than that it was a good book. The ending left me shatteredsleepysadpoet'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
And this book meant a lot to me in high school because of my own personal struggles. As someone studying clinical psychology though, I will admit I'm a bit frustrated with misinformation within.
Granted it came out when everyone was being diagnosed as bipolar, during the late 2000s. Since then, the dsm-V has come out, and the over diagnosis ended, mostly.
And here's the thing.
Vanessa, a character I hold close to my heart, is diagnosed as bipolar because back then everyone who was unstable got that diagnosis. But, as someone with both bipolar II and bpd--her story reads more like BPD. Especially the self harm aspect. Mania is also described incorrectly, as if it lasts hours instead of days to weeks. BPD mood cycles can last hours however. Bipolar is also referred to as BPD in this a couple times which is incredibly incorrect. However, because this came out during the dsm-iv time period, I am able to let that go.
I in many ways relate to Vanessa. Because of my BPD and struggles with self harm. I also have been hospitalized twice, and for the most part Aspen springs reminds me of that. That being said, I didn't have the challenge at the end and I'm so glad I didn't because that's straight up terrifying. I also understand Ellen isn't a psychologist so any misinformation isn't entirely her fault.
Despite those errors, I still adore this book. Because when I read it the first time, I was in a horrible place with untreated bpd. I've read this a few times, as it is one of my favorite books by Ellen Hopkins.
A lot of people call this story unrealistic, but it really isn't, because there are many Tonys, Conners and Vanessas in the world. Along with Dahlia, who's story sort of is like mine, I'm not going into details.
Back when I read this the first time, I felt hope. This could give a lot of other people like me hope too.
Hate that I noticed the misinformation and got a lil upset though, because if I weren't going into the field I probably wouldn't have known it was misinfo lol.
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Abortion
brookey8888's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is honestly really depressing, but important. Check content warnings because this is dark and it talks about a lot of things. I changed it from a full five to a 4.4 because I felt like some of the things said were a little problematic. For example a character said the only thing that could save her was being in love and as this is YA I just am not fully comfortable with that. Other then a few some things it still holds up and I love that it’s written in verse.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail