erinn93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, and Suicidal thoughts
aleroness's review against another edition
A heavy and infuriating and brutally honest and uplifting and confusing book tbh. One of those books where's there's no dichotomy of right and wrong (with some obvi exceptions). Everyone who knows someone who has experienced an abusive relationship in any way should read this.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child death, Gun violence, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Rape
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Terminal illness
fernandalaram'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: Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Cancer
bbrewer14'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? It's complicated
5.0
The characters in the book are more human than I have seen portrayed in a novel in some time. The author helps you feel love and hurt and anger and fear and a gamut of emotions in between, both with and for, each character. The journal entries from the teen years of the main character establish a strong understanding of her reasoning and bond you with her as she travels through her familial relationships and her friendships. The respect you find for her in her confusion and her decisions is deep and strong. The other characters all bring light and dark and love and loss to the table and it is frustrating when you want them to do something to keep with the idea of a fiction novel versus what they should do…be just like people and do just what we do…make mistakes. I will read this again and am looking forward to the sequel. I laughed and cried and loved along with Lily and I am not ready to let her go just yet.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Child death, and Violence
Moderate: Child death, Blood, Rape, Medical content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Abandonment, Infertility, and Vomit
aiiime's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Blood, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, Cancer, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, Violence, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
killar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Rape, Abandonment, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
tayscene'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Terminal illness, Child death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy, Death of parent, Death, Sexual content, and Cancer
Spoiler
I’m so happy se decided to get a divorce. As she said in the end “It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”pamelasoto's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Child death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Gun violence, Blood, and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol and Cancer
ellawatwat's review against another edition
Graphic: Rape, Abandonment, Blood, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Infertility, Medical content, and Cancer
abbeyroad1410's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
That being said, I think for the most part, this book does a great job of highlighting the emotional complexities of an abusive relationship and the difficulties of breaking the generational cycle of abuse. It easily makes a person want to sob for every party involved.
The main character, Lily, has a lot going for her. She remains bold and ambitious in her pursuits throughout the novel, but undergoes a large perspective shift. Even though no one would want to see someone undergo this much trauma, it does inform her character. I do hope she ends up seeing a therapist following all of this.
If I had a gripe with this book, it was the unnecessary addition of Atlas. I'm not entirely sure he was a good romantic interest either. His questions regarding Lily's age often gave "I'm waiting until this is legal" even if this wasn't the intention. A lot of his role could have been fulfilled through Lily's friendship with Alyssa (the best character) or through the development of Lucy (a character abandoned about two seconds into the book).
Overall, this is a good book if you can handle the traumatic subject, though you may need a bottle of wine afterwards to unwind.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Child death