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writewithapendragon'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
3.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Body horror
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
emmagreenwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Incest
booksillremember's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Racism and Sexism
torturedreadersdept'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bdingz'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
4.5
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
Moderate: Gun violence and Sexual content
Minor: Child death, Forced institutionalization, and War
emadisonc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Only bad religions depend on mysteries, just as bad governments depend on secret police. Truth, beauty and goodness are not mysterious, they are the commonest, most obvious, most essential facts of life, like sunlight, air and bread. Only folk whose heads are muddled by expensive educations think truth, beauty, goodness are rare private properties. Nature is more liberal. The universe keeps nothing essential from us—it is all present, all gift. God is the universe plus mind. Those who say God, or the universe, or nature is mysterious, are like those who call these things jealous or angry. They are announcing the state of their lonely, muddled minds.”
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Racism
secunda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail
readdanoread'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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation
couldbestephen's review against another edition
4.0
Poor Things follows Godwin Baxter, McCandless, and a cast of strange characters as they interact with Bella Baxter, a woman brought back from the dead with her mind wiped clean. As she relearns what it means to be a person, her past keeps coming back to haunt her.
The language used in the novel, as well as most of the thematic elements, are immediately reminiscent of late Enlightenment/early Gothic authors like Mary Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe. It's an older, denser style of writing that readers who are not fans of more "classic" works of literature may not enjoy or be able to break through. As someone who grew up reading the "English classics," it took me a bit before I was comfortably back in the rhythm of this type of work. Gray masterfully weaves his story with gothic themes of personhood, religion, and politics, along with more modern concerns of female autonomy and societal expectations.
The ending honestly shocked me. I kinda expected some sort of twist when I saw what one of the final "chapters" was titled, but to turn the entire story on its head right at the end like that, further cementing the themes of female liberation and lack of autonomy? I would 100% recommend this novel.
Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Medical trauma
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Death, Xenophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Drug use, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Alcohol, and War