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bcallahan'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
Moderate: Suicide attempt
emmabemba's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This paragraph hit me hard because I’ve been there and I’ve felt what Aiden felt in this book. This book was quite hard to read yet it was so good. In “Saint”, we meet Aiden, Tyler and Sean’s brother, who decides to stop his relationship with Elijah, the man he’s been in love with since he was a teenager, to become a monk.
While reading the book, you’ll know why he decided to stop the relationship with Elijah, his commitment to finding God and spending time with Him, and also how he dealt with depression and suicide talk 🥺 So yeah, guys, that book is quite heavy and the topics in there can be confusing, disturbing and even thought-provoking.
I recommend reading this book with an open mind: I’m a Christian and there was a lot of interesting themes related to religion and I loved that Sierra Simone talked about that and described them clearly. But I know that this kind of book is not for everyone and it’s not entirely related to maturity; it’s much more than that.
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
erintempleton's review against another edition
4.75
we came for the smut, but we stayed for the tender-hearted, purpose-filled perspective on catholic monasticism??? not a sentence i ever thought would read, let alone write. how is it possible that a book with so much gay sex taught me so much about god and silence and alternatives to religious binaries? jfc, sierra simone knew her target audience (queer folks with Religious Trauma and mental health issues) and fired a full-on atomic bomb at them with this one. no survivors, millions dead, the dust has yet to settle.
there is something so healing about aiden's story with elijah, about two men who love each other so devotedly that it brings them closer to god and to healthier versions of themselves. growing up in the church and being told/shown that the faith is completely incompatible with open queerness has driven so many people away from god, so to read a book where sex and prayer are equally satisfying and worshipful, where faith is full-bodied and incarnate and substantial, that was kind of revolutionary to me. it's the kind of necessary heresy that makes everything else feel flimsy by comparison.
this book said, "find what makes you feel alive, and don't ever stop reaching for it," and that's the good sauce right there.
subtracting .25 stars because there were some questionable parts (i'm looking at you, rubber bouncing ball scene, and also at you, abandonment trope x3), but damn if everything else wasn't absolute perfection. it was funny and emotional and sexy and beautiful and completely okay with being controversial. i love it when a book surprises me, and this one definitely did.
Graphic: Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment
books_after_bedtime'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
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia, Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Outing, and Classism
kelsmckinney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Child death, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Outing
sara_mb'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
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
krosebooks'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
4.25
One of my favorite parts of the book is when <he is talking about his depressive episode. I felt very connected to the character in this chapter because of how Simone wrote about it. She explained it through subtle things that go through your mind and how it affects the people around you.> Lastly, the ending is perfect. not dragged out for ten more chapters after the climax, but keep concise and still connected to the material.
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
madbirks's review against another edition
4.5
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
flina'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: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
ka_ke's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Minor: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia