thekissballad's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • 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

*Check trigger / content warnings before reading.*

I really liked this book and felt like I was experiencing the struggle and growth and self-acceptance along with Jonathan. It's a rough but beautiful journey.

I just didn't entirely like the writing style. All the 70's / hippy references and how the characters sometimes talked got on my nerves really quickly. The multiplewordsasonelongword and the onomatopoeia was way overdone and started to feel forced "for the vibes" instead of being an actual representation of the era.

I also disliked all the homophobic and racist language and actions, but understand it was needed to give an accurate representation of what Jonathan and Web would have gone through. Still don't have to like it, though.

Overall, I highly recommend as long as none of the content is triggering to you. Like I said, look up warnings before reading.

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chrissssssss's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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foreverinastory's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • 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

This was so good but ow my heart.

Rep: white gay male MC, Native American (Oglala Lakota Nation) gay male love interest, Black biracial cishet female side character, a couple Native American (Oglala Lakota Nation) side characters.

CWs: bullying, homomisia/homophobia, racism, alcoholism, addiction, attempted sexual assault, racial slurs, violence, xenophobia, medical trauma, electroshock therapy, conversion therapy, hate crime, past mentions of police brutality and murder, death of parent, alcohol consumption, drug use, torture, child abuse. Moderate: consensual sexual content, pedophilia, colonisation, emotional abuse, misogyny, transmisia/transphobia. 



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e_reader's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book shattered my heart and put it back together again. Jonathan and Web’s story pulls at all of the heart strings, and I just wanted to give Jonathan a hug. The book ends with a little bit of hope and some tearful moments. 

In particular I found the conversion therapy and Web being Indigenous as central to the story and they definitely  add to the book. Contrary to what some people said, I actually really like this meandering style of writing, it gives it a poetic tone. And the imagery is just fantastic, don’t skip over the details. 

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lp0w3ll's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced
  • 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


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atomiccwitchbooks's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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truechamp's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

i thought it was nice how the story gave insight to hot topics of the time. i feel like it could probably be seen as weird that a white person wrote about racism like that

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mechu's review against another edition

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challenging emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5


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ollieshark's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

at first i was unsure of how i'd feel about this novel because of how eccentric johnathan's voice is, but i'm so glad i stuck with it. i have a feeling this one will put me in a funk afterwards because it has so much heavy subject matter, but it's such an important read to understand how unaccepted gay men and native american peoples were even just in the 1970s.

the only thing i wish had been done differently or changed is that content warnings should probably be provided somewhere before chapter one starts. i had no idea what i was going into and i think my thoughts on the novel suffer a little as a result of being bombarded with johnathans's "treatments."

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