a_serpent_with_corners's review against another edition
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Spoiler
Becky's conversion experience and Clem's decision to enlistThe mixture of love, duty, and resentment that characterises the family relationships was also well-drawn.
The parts about Marion were the biggest mixed bag for me. She gets one of the most blistering exchanges of dialogue in the novel, but the parts dealing with her earlier life from her own perspective didn't quite ring true for me - they seemed a bit sensational. Not so much in the specifics of what happened but more in
Spoiler
the way mental illness was expressed in the narrationIt goes very quickly - I finished it in four days, despite them being quite busy. Everything I read about this compared it to The Corrections and most agreed that that was even better, so I will need to seek it out sometime.
Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Sexual content
georgiahb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault
lily_kruse'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
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Grief, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Vomit, Pregnancy, Rape, Racism, Abortion, and Blood
groovybouvie'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
4.0
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Racism
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicide, and War
lubepizza's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Dysphoria, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Abortion, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Racism
Minor: War and Adult/minor relationship
hannakutlu'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
4.5
Moderate: Abortion, Infidelity, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy
drrock's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Abortion
jessidbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abortion, Classism, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
alimalina's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It is setup from the very beginning that this much like the Hildebrandslied, these people are only family in name, lacking the actual bonds that would make them recogniseble to one another. Everyone is too much up in their heads, busy fighting the God (their conscience if anything really) to even see people they live with.
The story of a Midwest family that hate each other is such a cliche but the text is aware of itself enough to be interesting. All of the characters are tragic, set up to lose the thing they coveted the most, destined to never escape the fate living in godless land presented them with. Your agency, mind and principles will be lost and forgotten, only the mundane and boringly inevitable to stay.
The writing is solid, the idea is executed brilliantly, the points of view of characters play with and against each other in an engaging way.
I am afraid that the novel still slightly overstays it's welcome.
Two questions have slightly bothered since finishing it: a) was this just a long setup to the trilogy and
Spoiler
b) why cocaine of all things reallyGraphic: Drug use and Drug abuse
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Abortion
joensign's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Infidelity
Moderate: Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship