The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
greenan26'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
Graphic: Trafficking, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Medical content, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Ableism, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Self harm, Gore, Car accident, Blood, and Medical trauma
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
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
addi_gurl'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: Eating disorder, Suicide, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Death, Hate crime, Trafficking, and Pedophilia
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
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
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.mikom10'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
4.25
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Rape, Self harm, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Drug use
orangee'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: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Sexual violence, Car accident, Child abuse, Trafficking, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Suicide, and Suicide attempt