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ellawatwat'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
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Miscarriage, Vomit, and Abortion
kat_andherbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
nbarendt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment
lucyrudd'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
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol
janetsuzanne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, and Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
mandathebibliophile'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
erinjeanette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Alcoholism, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
bek_p87'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity and Violence
laurel_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Child abuse
rioreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Family is found...whether it be blood or circumstance or choice, what binds us does not matter. All that matters is that we are bound.”
“Must be nice. To be able to be weak. I wouldn’t know.”
...........................................................
Let me say, this book was definitely not what I expected. I was thinking it would be the epitomy of summer, fun, lightheartedness, and Malibu. While I feel that it was none of those things, and I would not classify this as a summer read, I do think it is still a story worth reading. It tackeled some heavy topics and emotions, but I think going into this novel knowing that would have definitely enhanced the reading experience from the beginning. Also, I read this both in the physical format and listened to the audiobook, and I found that the audiobook by Julia Whelan made this a more enjoyable, pleasant, and easy read.
Taylor Jenkins Reid focuses on familial connections, relationships, and dynamincs in this story of four siblings spanning from childhood into their 20's, as well as their parents tragic love story decades before. With part of the story about their biological father who could have and should have done more, I found myself really connected to the four Riva siblings. Their story and triumph in this novel to overcome and perservere hardships and abandoment was inspiring.
I found Nina's character growth to be the biggest, but I really enjoyed Kit's character as well. I also really enjoyed Jay and Hud's relationship. Not all siblings are entirely related, some patially and some by connection.
My heartsrings absolutely tugged for June and everything she endured.
And Brandon... ew....and Mick double eww.....
I honestly, feel like there was a lot going on in this novel at times, and I am unsure if it was all entirely necessary. However, it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
⚠️Warning⚠️
Language, low spice, adult content, parent abandonment, death of a parent, alcoholism, drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment