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maxgdy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jakobvongunten's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Medical trauma, and Abortion
Moderate: Ableism and Excrement
Minor: Racism
town_scar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Abandonment
Minor: Car accident
Graphic, on page depictions of most things but most notably: assault of a minor by a parent, assault of a minor by a sibling, beastiality, physical abuse between parental figure and child, prostitution, murder, drug use, etc. Not for the faint of heart.slvngrt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
thereaderinshades's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Abortion
carojust'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? It's complicated
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
oversherin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is incredibly violent and dark. You get right into the mind of the characters who are deeply troubled and hateful people who are wrecked by their environment. Chapters are long dark spirals into the depths of these characters and their darkest thoughts imaginable. Despite this, Melchor is very skilled in giving them just enough humanity that I empathized with them and wanted to stick it out to the end. As other reviewers have said, this book is deeply, disturbingly, honest in a way I have never read before. To me, the hardest part of this book is that most of the characters are children who are wrapped up in the worst of the world. The run-on prose took adjustment, but I found it very natural by middle.
Overall, I thought the story was compelling and timeless. I gritted my teeth through the whole book and had to scan some chapters because I just couldn't stomach it. However, I respect this book and the stories it's telling. There is more truth to this book than I'd like to face. It definitely affected me in an artful way.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Murder, and Pregnancy
s4ily's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Abortion, Murder, and Abandonment
readingwithsierra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
motherofbears's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I would say this is a challenging read, especially for someone not used to the writing style, but also because of the subject matter. All the trigger warnings, really.
It will stay with me for a while.
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Police brutality, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Pregnancy