The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
elishacarles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Child death, Death, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Rape
lenaschwr_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death, Child abuse, Body shaming, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
red_headed_book_slut's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault
madalynedwards's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
This book contains many, many, many trigger warnings.Ā
ā
Iāll probably go back and add on to this review later but itās 2 a.m. and I just finished this book and I am not okay.Ā
Did I read this book because I knew it was supposedly heart wrenching and I wanted it to rip my heart out and smash it into thousands of tiny pieces? Yes. Was I prepared? No.Ā
Okay, so Iām going to be honest, this was *almost* a DNF for me. I listened to it on audiobook at 3x speed and found myself losing interest. But I kept on trucking until 30% where I couldnāt decide if I wanted to DNF it or not. I rarely DNF a book, not that I think thereās anything wrong with DNFing, but I heard incredible reviews and wanted to keep going. I picked it back up a few days later and listened to the remaining 70% of this 800+ page novel without pressing pause. I was hooked - I couldnāt help but feel that if I put the book down, I would be abandoning the characters in their darkest times, and I so desperately wanted to see them overcome their demons and trauma (I did a little happy gasp when I got to the section titled āThe Happy Daysā, but rest assured friends, the happy days are not the final days.) The characters are beautifully flawed, well developed, and beautifully written. The strongest feeling I felt as I read was that of prolonged despair. Judeās abusive past leads him to sabotaging himself, thinking he is not worthy of happiness or joy or love or, during some instances, life itself. And itās heartbreaking. Itās absolutely gut wrenching.Ā
Jude, it seems, was the unluckiest individual growing up. Jude made a comment in the later half of the book how he has been lucky all his life, but that is not true. The main criticism I have of the book is that I found myself thinking āsurely one person cannot go through all of thisāā¦ it seems like Jude was in the wrong place at the wrong time every time. When he would reveal details about himself in little pieces, I would find myself thinking āthis is the terrible trauma Jude endured that has resulted in his thoughts and motivesā¦ā but no, each passing chapter would peel back another layer of trauma he endured. I found myself wondering how one person could endure so many traumatic events, and during times wondered why the author was adding to these layers of trauma even after Jude had been through so much. So yeah, the main emotion, along with anger (for those who wronged Jude - and trust me, there are a lot) I felt while reading was despair. Pure and utter despair.Ā
Graphic: Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Death, Medical trauma, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, Abandonment, Ableism, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Blood, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit
catsandbeets'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
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Suicide, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual content, Rape, Mental illness, Homophobia, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Chronic illness
cllaaiirreeee'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Blood, Body shaming, Mental illness, Rape, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
katenico'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
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
bookish_village'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
hollieadaw's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Suicide, Blood, Child abuse, Self harm, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Torture, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Rape
oddgreyhound's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
It has hills and valleys, and more of one than another, but it made me love the characters. Itās long, but i think itās not too long. fitting.Ā
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Car accident, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Dementia, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail