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_haggis_'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
3.75
I would give it 4 stars except I dislike the way George is treated - totally fine for him and Lucy to not be best pals, it creates an interesting dynamic to the trio - especially because as the book goes on you realise that they do like each other and it's the little things that wind each other up. Yet that doesn't excuse the unpleasant way George's appearance is written about. As a character, Lucy clearly has her prejudices (which is okay - no character is perfect and Lucy develops over the series), but Stroud reminds us unnecessarily that he is fat at every opportunity he can and the further stereotyping of him as pedantic, food-obsessed and slovenly is lazy, rude and off-putting.
Lucy is okay, she's a bit uptight and makes mistakes and has her prejudices (many of which she is self-aware about) - which are honestly refreshing to see in a protagonist, yet Stroud occasionally strays into 'she's not like other girls because she's not pretty and not as silly as them'.
Overall, it was a good plot with likeable characters that behave like real teenagers and I had fun.
Graphic: Blood and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Toxic relationship
zoeelora'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
atalea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
abigailhaagen's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gore and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
vreadsalot'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? It's complicated
4.0
George verdient zo veel beter dan de beledigingen die dit boek naar zijn hoofd gooit :(.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse and Child death
Minor: Death of parent
kryolitee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Sexism, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
cdo499'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt
starsnstitchin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
What I didn't enjoy: the characters didn't always seem like real people and it's a bit obvious that Lockwood is supposed to be like Sherlock Holmes. Despite the set up for the setting and age of characters it wasn't quite played right to feel like it was actually an alternative world where children were the heroes. Some events that should have had consequences didn't and vice versa. One major thing that granted on me the more it kept happening was how one main character has different strengths and weaknesses than the other 2, but is always described as incompetent and fat and it's outright stated as well as implied that him being fat is part of why he's incompetent and inferior to his peers. The other characters get plenty of descriptors and traits, but all he gets is various ways of saying he's fat and inferior.
Overall though, it was an enjoyable read!
Graphic: Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
starlitpage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Gun violence, and Suicide