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m_moonmama'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? No
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
jstilts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Characters make the worst possible decisions at all times just to drive the grimness onwards and make Alice's life as miserable as possible. Her lov ng grandmother absolutely ruins Alice's life and the motivations are all incomprehensible beyond the author wanting their character to suffer.
Where I really gave up is when - SPOILER - Aluce falls ridiculously deeply and savagely in love literally at first sight with someone who of course turns out to be an abuser. I realise that it's not uncommon for victims of abusive families to find themselves with abusive partners but she didn't gravitate towards him, she didn't know the guy at all, so that's not what is happening here - it's just Alice Must Suffer!
Honestly, I wouldn't have finished this book if it wasn't chosen for a book club I'm hosting.
Utterly exhausting, which is a shame as it's beautifully written. One quirk is that most chapters feel like they could be the ending - at times it's like reading a collection of short stories that tell one narrative. I'd be tempted to try the author again so long as the subject matter is entirely different.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Deportation
imaginethisreader'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: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Stalking, Abandonment, and Deportation
alex_o_xx'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
pikkumarja's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Alicen ja tarinan muiden naisten vuoksi toivoisin, että kirjassa ei olisi miehiä niin paljon. Miehet eivät oikein nappaa.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
be_emvi_ous'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: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Deportation
snoogler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
abrown04's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
It ended abruptly and felt rushed towards the end, and it felt like Alice hadn’t actually resolved any of her trauma. Absolutely mad at how it ended.
Paperback.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cancer
jailala's review against another edition
4.5
There are three almost separate seeming 'chapters' of Alice's life explored so it helps to know that going in- otherwise, the break between her early disjointed childhood understanding into the people caring for her in the second part can through you.
The third part, told more from her adult perspective was fairly easy to read (though the topics she works through can be triggering to some- brutal!) Another author might have simply told the story only from that third part- throwing in bits and pieces in flashbacks to help you understand. As it stands, we are led through Alice's life from beginning to her final growth into an adult on her way to a well-rounded life and we get a much more complete picture because of Ringland's choice of structure.
Those who do not understand their history and, by extension, their family's history, are doomed to repeat the same bad patterns over and over.
Hiding the past almost never ends well and can actually be quite destructive.
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty and Stalking
While the entire book is cathartic, in order to get to the growth of the main character the story goes to some pretty traumatic places. None of it is over-the-top or used purely for effect. All of it has specific ramifications and growth relation to the characters.zahrahazmi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence