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fkshg8465'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
Expected very little from this book. Verity was very popular, but I’d really, really disliked it. Thought this would end up the same way. Glad I was proved wrong.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
randilion28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"As I stare back at him, I think about how easy it is for humans to make judgements when we're standing on the outside of a situation. I spent years judging my mother's situation. It's easy when we're on the outside to believe that we would walk away without needing a second thought if a person mistreated us. It's easy to say we couldn't continue to love someone who mistreats us when we aren't the ones feeling the love of that person.
When you experience it firsthand, it isn't so easy to hate the person who mistreats you when most of the time they're your godsend."
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
gracelang_09's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death and Suicidal thoughts
himrsa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape and Alcohol
Minor: Gun violence
cj_underw'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
2.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer and Panic attacks/disorders
literarylily'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
4.0
The book itself is an intense, uncomfortable read. From the beginning of Ryle and Lily's encounters, the red flags were flying and I could feel the tension building. I'm not sure how much of it I would have picked up on going in blind, but knowing what I did I never warmed to Ryle as his love-bombing and erratic nature set me on edge.
Having the sections about Atlas worked as a good contrast, showing the gentle and quiet love he and Lily had for each other. And of course the parallels between Lily and her mother over time.
I am fortunate enough to not be able to say from firsthand experience if this was an accurate portrayal of DV, but from what I have heard from loved ones that do, it is eerily similar. It's important to remember everyone's experience with it will be different, as will the outcomes at the end.
The reason this doesn't get five stars from me is that I felt the book was a bit underdeveloped in some ways. There are characters in Lily's life that seem to flit in when convenient and disappear for hundreds of pages, for example Kate in her childhood and Devin and Lucy in her adulthood. It would have been good to have them a little more involved and see more reactions to events from people more on the outskirts of her life.
I also felt like some odd choices were made
What I didn't like was that Lily and Atlas only get back together by chance at the end. I'm guessing the fact that they only ever meet by chance (except for when Lily calls him for help) is supposed to be symbolic that fate was bringing them together, but it would have been nice to see Lily take more agency around her love life and actively find Atlas when she was ready.
Overall this was a very compelling read, slow to start but impossible to look away from by the end. I found myself so intensely rooting for Lily and hoping she gets the ending she deserves. By no means a perfect book, but a deeply personal one for Hoover that I do think is worth the read.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
sarrexxa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
sweater_swetha's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol
dajehm_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
jenareynolds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Pregnancy, and Alcohol