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majamusa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
3.75
bizzerg's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
knk2002's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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? N/A
3.5
mushroombee's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying and Misogyny
bookgirl1861's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.25
froglikehumanoid's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
gidsreadsthings's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
jettplane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Child abuse
herbiehickmott's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
A concise and effective gut punch. Torres finds a way to pack an incredible amount of heart and intense emotion into a sliver of a book. He creates a world that feels so fully realized, it’s hard to believe this is fiction.
I could practically see/touch/smell/hear the family in this book (three brothers and their parents). Their needs, actions, thoughts feel so real and true.
It’s heartbreaking and honest.
Started this on the train to the airport and finished it on the plane.
I could practically see/touch/smell/hear the family in this book (three brothers and their parents). Their needs, actions, thoughts feel so real and true.
It’s heartbreaking and honest.
Started this on the train to the airport and finished it on the plane.
riveraanahiz's review against another edition
3.0
I've been recommended this book several times and while I enjoyed the book, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed. The book focuses on the author's parents' violent and volatile relationship, which then allowed him and his older brothers, unsupervised, to act like animals. There is a lot of language related to animals and nature used throughout the book and the essays are well-written, but they lacked depth to me. I feel like there were a lot of times when Torres could've gone more in-depth, especially at the end. The second to last piece in the book drops a BOMB on the reader in the middle of nowhere and leaves the reader wanting more and asking questions that may never be answered (unless Justin Torres writes a book about it, which he probably could and should). I also found myself confused when reading that piece, titled, "The Night I am Made" is written in a completely different style than the rest of the book, as well as at other points throughout the book, finding the setting to be a bit unclear, but even more so wanting to know the author's age in several pieces, as it was only mentioned once in the piece "Seven," where - you guessed it - he turns seven years old. Nevertheless, I think the book started off great, though it had the potential to be better. I'd recommend giving it a read just once.