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casserolin_'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: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Infertility
madeline_p4'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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, and Rape
berrypatch'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
Graphic: Addiction and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Outing, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Infertility, Rape, Xenophobia, and Abortion
mattyvreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Here are some things that I think that the author does quite well:
> Has a meaningful and nuanced dialogue about parental neglect, emotional abuse, and exploitation, in an otherwise less-than-subtle story.
> Centers gay people and women.
> Was genuinely exciting in parts.
> Has moments of emotionality and tenderness.
> Has a beautiful book cover. The best I’ve seen all year.
Okay, that’s about it.
Honestly, once I suspended disbelief, I enjoyed a lot of the story, particularly the middle third which was really successful for me. The characters themselves are very intriguing, and the plot kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of it. Other times, it was a chore to turn the page.
Here are things about the book I don’t care for:
> The dialogue and actions of the characters is ultra-stylized and over-the-top. That style didn’t really click for me.
> I found all the characters vaguely annoying. All of them.
> Some of the talking points in the book felt entirely unfinished, unearned, or even sometimes, disrespectful. (Many made contextual sense! These moments were really successful: a thorough discussion of closeted homosexuality and the pressures of a Catholic upbringing. Emotional abuse and neglect. The problematicism of white social justice warriors. Colorism. A denouncement of “elevating” foreign food. Talking about the lack of mainland aid from America in the wake of Hurricane Irma and Maria. That was all fascinating and so successful.) The talking points which felt unearned or disrespectful: random invocation of unrelated national tragedies and genocide. A quick and unresolved discussion of sexual assault. Seemingly, a few misguided jabs at the leftist youth of America?
The author would sometimes make actual critique, but I often wondered what point the author was trying to make, or if there was a point with those latter topics. Mostly it felt that the author was almost saying something, and then chose not to. Saying a lot, but saying nothing —
Olga briefly mentions that she refuses to think about the incident as it would “make her a victim.” As if people who are survivors of sexual assault are somehow inferior? Or just the way that they respond to it makes them somehow inferior? Hmm… It’s a deeply troubling sentiment.
When she reveals this news to her boyfriend, the author had the chance to say something in that moment. Instead he responds with some unimpressive remark, and then proceeds to scold her about other elements of their relationship! And that’s the last we hear of it!! Like….? I just don’t get it.
And one could make the argument that sometimes people don’t know what to say, and maybe this is the realistic response for that character, but the rest of the book doesn’t have realistic dialogue! Why should we just settle for this right before the “happily ever after”?
Oh also, at one point, the protagonist randomly sh!ts on sex workers, and there’s another part where her niece corrects her brother to say “queer” instead of “gay”. Those moments gave me slight pause. It does center a gay character, but the text oozed heterosexuality in a way that was confusing and disinteresting to me.
Overall, I liked parts of the book, but would probably not read it again.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Outing, and Colonisation
ashwaar's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Homophobia, and Racism
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
ferboss2023'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Outing, and Classism
lizziaha's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation
Minor: Bullying, Infertility, Abortion, and Deportation
zombiezami's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infertility, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Abortion, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
stephmcoakley'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
lolamosk'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
4.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, and Abortion