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gingermouse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Racism, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Drug use and Police brutality
This is a satirical barb at post trump America (set during Trump) the racism, classism and general terrible behaviour of the characters is a tool used to demonstrate the state of things without coming right out and saying it. All of the characters are and remain deliberately unlikable. The child death is implied periodically throughout but explained in detail much later, it isn't gruesome or gory but is intensely heart breaking.elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Moderate: Child death and Suicide
janemarple's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m conflicted about this book. I love Tim O’Brien - The Things They Carried and In the Lake of the Woods are two of my favorite books of all time. In some ways, this is a great book. In other ways it’s a complete mess. It could lose 100 pages and accomplish exactly what it did in a bloated 449. I do appreciate the strong take on the post-truth America we unfortunately find ourselves living in, and, through fiction, he calls out the conservative politicians who have brought us there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Fatphobia
brigid_'s review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
If you crossed multiple story lines of Tarantino with American quirkiness of Coen brothers. A bit slow to start, then thoroughly enjoyable, but lost me with insane amount of fat shaming at end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia