liannaengland's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Trafficking, Racism, Violence, Confinement, and Slavery
corngod31'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Murder, Rape, Racial slurs, Slavery, Grief, Death, and Colonisation
readbycarina'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? No
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Grief, Physical abuse, Confinement, Rape, Child death, and Torture
Moderate: Colonisation, Suicide, Racial slurs, Death, Stalking, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy
schausjk'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? It's complicated
3.5
Spoiler
In particular, the way he kept emphasizing that he remembered everything got pretty old.That being said, I did very much enjoy the magical realism aspect of the book once it became fully fleshed out in the latter portion of the book. It would have been nice to have seen that more gradually and thoughtfully woven in throughout the story, as much of the story felt far removed from it. I've seen some reviewers suggest that the magical realism portion could have been removed entirely to make the story more cohesive, but I disagree as I found it to be the most compelling part of the novel.
Overall I'm very glad I stuck with this one. I do plan on reading more of Coates' nonfiction work, as his writing style does seem well-suited to that type of writing.
Graphic: Racism and Slavery
Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Rape, Racial slurs, and Violence
rai'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? No
3.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, War, Confinement, Death, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence
liesbethvv'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? No
4.0
I was completely surprised by the magical realism in this story and it took me a while to get used to it. Once I was on board with the concept of
Spoiler
conduction,Graphic: Violence and Slavery
Moderate: Torture, Racism, Racial slurs, and Grief
Minor: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, Vomit, Pregnancy, Sexism, Confinement, and Abandonment
oliverlang's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Classism, Death, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Confinement, Grief, Torture, Colonisation, Hate crime, and Racism
gm_vak'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
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence
adearen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Trafficking
jojo_'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
2.5
Graphic: Racism, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Torture, and Racial slurs
Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, and Rape