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queenbunnidala'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
4.0
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Abandonment
phatamy86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Rape, and Sexual assault
hanhodge'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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting
mtro'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
2.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
mmefish'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
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Incest, Rape, and Suicide
rkocher1's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Violence
scifi_rat's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Prose: 4.75★
Pace: 4.5★
Concept/Execution: 4.5★/5★
Characters: 4.5★
Worldbuilding: 3.75★
Ending: 4.25★
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol
sofiam19's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma
Minor: Eating disorder, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
chaoticallyqueercoded's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
counterfetti'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
5.0
Hollows you out from the inside. An overwhelming bitterness in your mouth, twisted satisfaction, and an omniscient suffocation. The space between the reader and the protagonist is drawn closer and closer until you're trapped in her head. The prose has its own gravity. Incredibly layered characters, the most human I've ever seen, all with their own cruelties- the misunderstandings, deliberate or accidental, feel sharp and unforgivable. This is a story about love and people who don't know how to love without hurting people. It's about intergenerational trauma, cyclical and devastating. It's a story about hope despite it all. One of the most beautiful books I've ever read, the ending made me sob. I would highly recommend.
Spoiler Review
The ways May's abuse seeps into the lives of Lily's older siblings is just as heartbreaking. Jacob's (the older brother) fear about fatherhood is an extension of the lack of healthy parenting that was modeled to him in childhood. He is sensitive and conflict averse when his rowdy kids demand him to be authoritative, at least to an extent. That clash, alongside his lack of confidence in his work life and general depressive tendencies can be realistically traced back. Julia is combative, with a strength Jacob lacks. However, in some ways she feeds into May's cycle, adding to the pile of paranoia and insecurity she has in order to find a sense of satisfication from revenge. While she is an activist for Lily's indepedence, she also fails to see how she continues to orbit May even though she thinks of it as resistence. That cruel streak is reminiscent of the sharp verbal abuse May throws at her (and the abuse May herself suffered). The range of possibilities of how victims of abuse may carry those scars is explored without demonization. It's a fascinating and detailed portrait, and each relationship between the siblings, within the family, and outside of the family all have the same complexity.
Every character is more multi-faceted than you expect. Nothing is ever surprising in a frustrating way- maybe in a painful way, but you can always understand the rationale. Lewis is another character who could have been problematic if not written carefully. His air of loneliness, his own experience dysfunctional families, and his slight awkwardness all helped flesh him out beyond the cliche of the mentor savior. I also enjoyed how his relationship with Lily wasn't just positive. She pinned romantic hopes on him he could never fulfill and promptly punished him when it didn't pan out. The suspicion of men May instilled in her collide with her desire for intimacy, leading to unhealthy behaviors like stalking and twisted expectation. Her scenes with Lewis offer a break from her family and reveal more of who Lily is, both her nurturing side and her intelligence as well as her flawed perspective.
Other things I'd like to point out without anything to add include: the use of memory and how the distortion of events contributes to a misleading impression of a person, the changing context of repeated symbolism (fruit juice) or phrases (Mama's girl, Mama's doll), and the unique brand of violence each member of the famiy wield.
Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault