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lilly_anne's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Cultural appropriation
spcandybars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
One source of irritation I had with this book came from a cast of characters that I either hated or just felt entirely neutral towards. Another was having a differing stance on GMO technology than the one pushed in the book. Another was overly convenient plotting that felt like it served no one and heavily distracted from the family dynamic we were focused on. It made elements of the book feel cheesy and unnecessary and the characters introduced to carry out these sections weren’t fleshed out enough or impactful on the primary character enough to justify their presence. The A and B plot just don’t suite each other and I felt like both would be stronger stories on their own.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Dementia, Abortion, and Death of parent
lazydaisy's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I removed 0.25 stars because my sense of justice wished that the plotline with Elliott
I also wish there had been more conversation around the danger of allowing Lloyd (or someone like him) at the forefront of a movement, equating the efforts against GMOs to movements against abortion, especially given that the women in the Seeds identified as outspoken feminists. Calling out that tension and having a conversation about the nuances of so-called "sanctity" of life, perhaps with The Seeds and Yumi's children being given room to acknowledge the intense pain Yumi's father's shame had caused her, could have offered an interesting exploration of the gendered aspects of this political struggle.
Instead, Yumi is re-traumatized by her Dad's words once he becomes the spokesperson for this new movement, going back to her childhood rapist/boyfriend for comfort, and resented by her children because of this. Even though things do work out slightly better by the end, I was disappointed that Lloyd's treatment as the victim of this situation by characters surrounding him wasn't called into question (with Yumi's victimhood being seen as merely an excuse, or worse, her own fault), and Elliott didn't get more than a slap on the wrist (without deeper reflection on how this is often the case for manipulators/abusers).
However, overall it was a thought-provoking novel that tugged on my heart-strings and created characters that were complex, making it hard to put down the book.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Police brutality, and Dementia
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry