cathy_reads's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Suicide
adlaurable's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Easy to read and follow, but doesn’t touch heavier subjects with enough care. Unfortunately presents outdated ideology which perpetuates suicide as a selfish and blame-worthy while avoiding any actual mention of the mental health troubles that factor in to this kind of tragedy. The fact that this is glossed over while our protagonist grieves all, “woe is me,” left me feeling as though there was little-to-zero character development by the end, and that this outcome was pointless for the storytelling.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Bullying, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Domestic abuse
alyssalee2022's review
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
This book was SO bad.
I wanna preface his with I like YA and even middle grade books. I can appreciate books that weren't written for my age group, or have a more simplified message for younger readers. This book covers a hard topic, an important topic for a younger audience. However, it was done well beyond poorly. The characters are shallow and bitchy from beginning to end, and Megan makes Perdita's suicide about herself, which I feel is completely the opposite of the message! . If your book is meant to be about character development, then develop the characters!
I'm also surprised that the author has a degree from a pretty good university and can include such lovely poetry in her book when the writing is just so, <I>so</I> bad. It's awful. My seven year old stepson strings together better sentences than that. I've read some middle grade and YA with stunning prose, even with simplified language for a younger audience. This book, it's writing, and its message are worse than shallow and simplified. Truly atrocious.
If this book wasn't only 200 pages and took me all of 2 hours to read, I would have DNFed. To be honest, I really should have.
I wanna preface his with I like YA and even middle grade books. I can appreciate books that weren't written for my age group, or have a more simplified message for younger readers. This book covers a hard topic, an important topic for a younger audience. However, it was done well beyond poorly. The characters are shallow and bitchy from beginning to end, and
I'm also surprised that the author has a degree from a pretty good university and can include such lovely poetry in her book when the writing is just so, <I>so</I> bad. It's awful. My seven year old stepson strings together better sentences than that. I've read some middle grade and YA with stunning prose, even with simplified language for a younger audience. This book, it's writing, and its message are worse than shallow and simplified. Truly atrocious.
If this book wasn't only 200 pages and took me all of 2 hours to read, I would have DNFed. To be honest, I really should have.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
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