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megelizabeth's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
This is beautifully written, poignant, and utterly heart-shattering. I adored our main character, Ludwik, and absolutely ached for him throughout, and the relationships he has with some of the other characters completely broke me. This has so much to say about love, politics, poverty, family, and what the right way is to live or be, and it's definitely one that will stay with me. That being said, I think it would have had even more of an impact - and potentially been a 5* read - had it been a bit longer. It grapples with two very key central themes (the tragic love story and the brutal homophobia that goes along with this, and then the social commentary around Soviet socialism), and at times it felt to me a bit rushed and as if it would have really benefitted from being that bit longer and developing both strands more fully.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, and Police brutality
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Rape, Sexual harassment, and War
rieviolet's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I appreciated the setting because it focused on a time and place (Poland in the 1980s) that I am almost completely unfamiliar with and it was very interesting to be immersed in it, even if briefly.
I quite liked the narrator's voice and I think that the author was very good at handling Ludwik's emotional journey, the final chapters especially hit me right in the feels, harder than I thought they would.
However, there were some plot points that I found a little bit weirdfor example, the drugged soup and the hallucinated stroll in the woods, okay I guess?! .
Also, I think that at times the language was a tad overwritten and going a bit too heavy on metaphors and similes.
I quite liked the narrator's voice and I think that the author was very good at handling Ludwik's emotional journey, the final chapters especially hit me right in the feels, harder than I thought they would.
However, there were some plot points that I found a little bit weird
Also, I think that at times the language was a tad overwritten and going a bit too heavy on metaphors and similes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Sexism, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and War
disembody's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault