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pyronautphea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Abortion, Body shaming, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Ableism, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Infertility, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Vomit
Minor: Religious bigotry, Dementia, and Alcoholism
mecmccann'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? It's complicated
5.0
Elena is a Parkinson’s patient, and her daughter Rita is her caretaker. But one rainy day, Rita is found hanging, dead, in the church belfry. The police have ruled it a suicide, but Elena disagrees, it was raining that day, and Rita would never go into the church in the rain. She is determined to find her daughter’s murderer. “Elena Knows” follows Elena through a day, as she trembles through her relationship with her daughter, their relationships with religion, and how their individual values impacted those around them.
This book is about mother-daughter relationships, caregivers, and religious dogma. Rita takes care of her mother, but resents her for how she presents herself, even though Elena is disabled and declining rapidly. Through this story, as you watch Elena struggle, you simultaneously root for her to find out what happened, while considering that Rita was not kind to her mother or to those around her. Before her death, she made Elena go to the hair salon because she didn’t like how she looked since she could no longer do her hair, and she would yell at her for drooling. Throughout her day, Elena attempts to utilize other people’s bodies to find out what happened the day Rita died, from the police to the taxi driver, until she is confronted with someone Rita once impacted. These events lead up to a climax where Elena is forced to confront the effects of Rita’s worldview on outside individuals.
Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Suicide
moniipeters's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Body horror
Moderate: Excrement, Rape, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Dementia, Infertility, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Murder
woweewhoa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Chronic illness, Ableism, and Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, and Medical content
Minor: Infertility, Abortion, and Excrement
anabelengm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Abortion, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Religious bigotry, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
ar1annax's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicide, Abortion, and Chronic illness
kaislea's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Grief, Abortion, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death
Moderate: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, and Vomit
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Infertility, Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury
someonelikeblue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Excrement, Misogyny, Rape, Cursing, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Vomit
Minor: Miscarriage, Body shaming, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Dementia, and Blood