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bengibbreid's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
It's a heavy read with some really dark moments. I found myself spurred on by the internal voice of John-John and the quirks of his Northeast voice like something out of a, whatsit film. Yeah, noir. Proper moody.
Ultimately I find the story a tragedy, despite teases of hope. It's a downer of a read and I'd recommend taking stock of your day before diving in - I found it bitterly rancid in its portrayal of scenes involving paedophiles, child abuse and incest. I get that it's a book set in the grim reality in which we exist, but I found it hard to read - I'm still reeling from it.
Anyhow, the tale of an optimistic ex-con traveller who is dealing with his past has a lot of traction and mellow reflections of vibrant life, albeit a life threatened by the horrid deeds of people at every turn.
Ultimately I find the story a tragedy, despite teases of hope. It's a downer of a read and I'd recommend taking stock of your day before diving in - I found it bitterly rancid in its portrayal of scenes involving paedophiles, child abuse and incest. I get that it's a book set in the grim reality in which we exist, but I found it hard to read - I'm still reeling from it.
Anyhow, the tale of an optimistic ex-con traveller who is dealing with his past has a lot of traction and mellow reflections of vibrant life, albeit a life threatened by the horrid deeds of people at every turn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Blood, and Excrement
natashak1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
The story of John-John is undoubtedly an enthralling one, and I found myself enamoured by his character early on, but it's the combination of this and his murky past that is explained to you a morsel at a time that truly lets you fall into this story and not want to leave. The story is split between the present, told to us by John-John, and the past, told to us by his mother, and the flitting between the two keeps you both engaged and intrigued by how the opposing plot lines overlap. The build to the final act is perfect, and even when you have cottoned onto the more unexpected revelations within the novel, you keep reading just in case you find another little nugget of information.
I also had the additional pleasure of being from County Durham, so the setting and prose used have a lovely familiarity that captured my attention from the first page. I have always loved books that used dialect and throw around regional knowledge as though it expects you to know what the main character does, and this is an exemplary example of that.
I did remove a wee half-star however, thanks to the slightly unsubtle nature of some of the characters. Sure, they were interesting and added something to the story, but in parts certain characters lacked the subtlety that would allow this story to be a bit less black and white.
I also had the additional pleasure of being from County Durham, so the setting and prose used have a lovely familiarity that captured my attention from the first page. I have always loved books that used dialect and throw around regional knowledge as though it expects you to know what the main character does, and this is an exemplary example of that.
I did remove a wee half-star however, thanks to the slightly unsubtle nature of some of the characters. Sure, they were interesting and added something to the story, but in parts certain characters lacked the subtlety that would allow this story to be a bit less black and white.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, and Blood
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