The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
oreer'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: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, and Ableism
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.
—
I’ll probably go back and add on to this review later but it’s 2 a.m. and I just finished this book and I am not okay.
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.
Okay, so I’m 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 couldn’t decide if I wanted to DNF it or not. I rarely DNF a book, not that I think there’s 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 couldn’t 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 “The Happy Days”, 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. Jude’s 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 it’s heartbreaking. It’s absolutely gut wrenching.
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 “surely one person cannot go through all of this”… 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 “this is the terrible trauma Jude endured that has resulted in his thoughts and motives…” 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.
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
firdaws's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Child abuse
Minor: Rape
kazli'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
2.25
Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Ableism, Body horror, Car accident, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Trafficking, and Violence
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
shelbyeallen13'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: Toxic relationship, Rape, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Child abuse, Death, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse
ireyes50's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Bullying, Car accident, Medical trauma, Self harm, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Medical content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
edusa777'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
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Self harm, and Trafficking