Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - We the Animals

I just finished reading this and this is the kind of book that will take a day to finish but will stay with you the rest of your life. Nothing I can say will properly communicate how this book made me feel. Incredible writing, incredible composition, outstanding book.

Many are rating it lower because of how sad it is, or because they expected typical novel composition, or because of the abruptness of the last chapter. I’ll say that the last chapter doesn’t feel abrupt if you’re picking up on the breadcrumbs left by Torres throughout the latter half of the book; the composition is absolutely perfect for the content, in my opinion because it mirrors the disjointedness that was the life of these brothers; and the sadness makes sense, as the book is loosely based off of Torres’ life and the sadness seems appropriate for the content and the amount he is reflecting on his upbringing. Everything in this novel felt right to me, and all of the artistic choices felt like they fit perfectly.

Content Warnings

faythfarrar's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated

3.0

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therainbowshelf's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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? No

4.0

An interesting look at childhoods packed with trauma. Not a particularly uplifting read, but interesting (I think this is a novel in verse, but am not sure since I listened to the audio). Content warnings for domestic abuse, child abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, sexual acts performed in front of children, homophobia, and forced institutionalization.

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ssuummeerrn's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book was really interesting and had a lot of meaning. This is definitely one of the better books that I’ve had to read for school, but it just wasn’t my favorite.

I learned something about myself as a reader; I need a concrete plot! This writing style just wasn’t it for me. Each chapter was like it’s own little story, which is fine, but it’s not my favorite format to read.

The characters did have development, but it felt spontaneous and I want to be able to read about the journey of development whereas in this book it happened behind the scenes.

This is a really great story, it’s just not the style or format that I want as a reader.

Shout out to Justin Torres who is a professor at my school!

Content Warnings

rozz's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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