The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
morgane3471's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Sadly, I wish I didnāt. And not because of what others said. Yes I agree this book is sad and you should definitely check TW before reading it. But it didnāt work on me. I was expecting more layers ? Something else ?Ā
I enjoyed the writing style, the friendship and the way Judeās story is slowed told to us.Ā
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, and Self harm
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
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
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
1.5
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Blood, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death, Adult/minor relationship, 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
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
aulasw'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
5.0
If you want to experience a book that will hurt you as much as heal you; a book that will haunt you as much as fill your days with pleasant memories; a book that will make you cry as much as make you laugh, then this book is for you. It is not for the faint of heart: it is tough, and at times excruciatingly difficult, to keep reading, but it is worth it. Even in all the darkness this book has to show, with each bloody gash of the pages a cry for help, there are so many moments of light hidden there in these little lives, so bright next to all the dark around them.
This book will shock you and it will hurt you and it will heal you, the story itself so emblematic of the characters within and their lives.
If you do anything, please read this book.
Graphic: Rape, Medical trauma, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Trafficking, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, and Grief
Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Please read an in-depth review of this book and it's content warnings if you have issues reading about sexual, mental, physical, or drug abuse; self harm; or trafficking.ecw47's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Drug use, Eating disorder, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Body shaming
sarahmorgan125'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
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Rape, Self harm, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault