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elsebeok's review
- 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: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Trafficking
Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Colonisation
msteinhaus's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Miscarriage and Dementia
rachelkreadsbookz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death and Kidnapping
Moderate: Sexual violence
avisreadsandreads'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
4.5
Graphic: Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Police brutality, Dementia, Trafficking, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Torture, Abortion, Murder, Alcohol, and War
laurenipsum'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
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and War
maviemerveilleuse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Grief, and Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Trafficking
Minor: Miscarriage
falfy'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
3.0
Graphic: Pedophilia and Kidnapping
kimgravy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Trafficking and Kidnapping
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
serendipitysbooks'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What Could Be Saved is the story of the Preston family. In 1972 the American family - mum, dad and three kids - were living in Thailand when eight year old Philip disappeared. Despite intensive efforts he was never found and the family returned to America and tried to get on with the rest of their lives. Forty years later Laura receives an email claiming to be from her missing brother. Throwing caution to the wind she heads straight to Thailand. Against this background a complicated family story unfolds - one full of flawed characters, secrets , misunderstandings and regrets.
The mystery part of this novel was the less successful element for me. The main details of Philip’s fate were pretty much exactly as I expected. Thankfully the mystery wasn’t the main focus. I thought the characterisation was great -all the main characters were fully rounded with individual stories of their own. I also thought the author did a great job of shining a light on the unflattering reality of American ex-pat life in Thailand at the time, not to mention American foreign policy as well. The way Thai staff were treated was often appalling and cringeworthy. The insular and slightly claustrophobic nature of the expat community was well captured. I liked the structure of the story which featured a dual timeline narrative and think the author did a great job of drawing all the individual threads together. We get five main narrative perspectives and it is only when all are combined that the full picture of the Preston’s life and the factors that contributed to Philip’s disappearance emerges.
A satisfying well-told story that I flew through.
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping
cblunier's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent