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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, Infertility, Sexual assault, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Abortion
jaiari12's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Pregnancy
your_true_shelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief
Minor: Vomit
sammilynnebob'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Abortion
allapaz's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
kimberlyds'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
3.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Abortion
christopher_shiprack'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
4.75
Graphic: Terminal illness
Moderate: Sexual assault and Abortion
jordansingletary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Abortion
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: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Excrement, Dementia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
jiayuanc's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy