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geminisoul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual content
jcqln112'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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Gore, Murder, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
waytoomanybooks'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The novel takes place in the 1970s, but you need not worry about unfamiliar settings and references because Hannah makes the world around the Allbright family both richly detailed and extremely accessible.
The main character, Leni, is beautifully written. It’s so rare for an author to get a child/teen’s voice right, but Hannah nails it. Leni is thoughtful, intelligent, and sensitive; she’s a whole person. And we see her struggle and grow up in a turbulent family within a small community in a remote part of Alaska.
Though this story features many forms of abuse and domestic violence, Hannah uses a sensitive hand in the writing of it. It is believable and heart-breaking to watch Leni and her mother, Cora, both suffer at the hands of Ernt, their father and husband respectively. I love that the rest of the townsfolk stand up to Ernt and call out his behavior. I’m so used to media that features only hand-wringing bystanders. I love seeing people fighting back on behalf of Leni and Cora.
The (too many) twists of fate in the last third are terribly hard to read, partly because they’re so excruciating and partly because they require a lot of suspended disbelief. I would argue that the events in the last third take the plot outside the realm of what I see as plausible, especially considering the first two-thirds is written like a “slice of life” story.
I believe that making
My rating on the first 66.6% of the book is 4 out of 5, but it just goes off the rails in the final 33.3%. These out-there events that feel forced/crammed in is what ultimately made me decide to rate this novel a 3.5 out of 5.
It’s a weird book, but it’s packed with action and heartache in a captivating, soap opera kind of way. You can’t help but feel for the characters, even if some of the events are quite farfetched. I can’t help but want what is best Leni, and that is my litmus test for what makes for a good book.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
marycage'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Vomit and War
Minor: Confinement, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy
chelle22's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sierrabowers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
kmack79'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
h4e1bemily'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
The characters, setting, everything felt so real that it seemed like I was reading a memoir. Raw emotion, tension that turned the pages for me. I cried for, I hated, I loved each character. The ferocious beauty of the Alaskan wilderness cut through each page. It truly keeps only the strongest alive.
I dont want to spoil the story, but will say that domestic abuse is a main plotline, and it's honestly written.
Not quite 5 stars because towards the end it did pass the point of believability for myself, but it is a novel, not memoir, I need to remember...still definitely worth the read. Highly recommend.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
erinreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My experience reading Leni’s journey through adolescence and into adulthood was harrowing, shocking, revolting, and frustrating. I felt all of these things but I did care about all the people in Leni’s life
Read if you like emotional, terrifyingly believable stories about survival and family.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Death of parent
nc_unknown_user's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy