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bookmark3brodi'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? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual content, Misogyny, Deportation, Gore, Toxic friendship, Blood, Infidelity, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
rieriereads'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
4.25
•••
My Rating System
5 🌟 - Life changing, a new favorite read
4 ⭐ - I loved it
3 ⭐ - I liked it
2 ⭐ - It was okay
1 ⭐ - I hated it but decided to not dnf
Graphic: Alcohol, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Animal death, Death of parent, and Sexual content
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pregnancy
mariaminthebooks'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
Stating the obvious, the book flows like a river. The writing's great, descriptions' great yada yada yada...
Finished the book in 3 days. That says enough.
Now, the interesting stuff...
I found the main character insufferable, which is absolutely fine, characters do NOT have to be likeable, but Mellors tried SO hard to make her likeable by mentioning just how likeable she is (how convenient) which made me dislike her even more.
TW//
The book also features PRETTY heavy themes like alcoholism, drug abuse, animal cruelty, su!cide, self-h@rm, and the list goes on....without ever really diving into the complexity and complications of each struggle, thereby making the character's problems seem shallow (they are not!!!)
Along with having like a bazillion unnecessary characters, this, too, was unnecessary. Towards the end of the book, it felt as if Mellors was just throwing in as much trauma as she possibly can for that shocker effect. Unfortunately, that had a counter effect. It made me desensitised to much of the events in the novel.
traumatised characters ≠ unconditional sympathy
I've read books with way fewer events going on but had a much deeper attachment to the characters.
Frustratingly, this could have been such a good book....
Graphic: Infidelity, Chronic illness, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Blood, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Self harm, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
laurataylor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
finn_vibing'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
4.75
Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Self harm
Moderate: Dementia, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Death of parent
tea_aunt'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: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
gabby_stay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Addiction, Self harm, and Toxic relationship
livangel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Grief, Drug use, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Medical content, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Blood, Sexual content, Vomit, Suicide, Animal death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, and Physical abuse
victoriakvitnes'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: Alcohol, Self harm, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Animal death, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Drug abuse, and Grief
carolina_c's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
just even before reading the book I felt as if this was going to be a reading experience different from other books. before even reading the book I either read really good reviews or horrible reviews of it.
I would say that for me it was a very unique reading experience. I basically devoured the first half of the book in a week or two. After that I think I would avoid reading it. Either because I didn't want it to end since I've become attached to the characters not because of some feeling of being like them but just because I was reading about them and felt like I should watch out for them. On the other hand I think some parts of the book can be very stress inducing and sometimes I even felt sick. I think that's great when a book can do that much. But because of that I think a 3.75 review is good enough.
I liked this book but I'm a bit biased since I tend to like the sort of no plot books. I'd say the characters aren't that relatable to most of the people reading the book... Expect for Eleanor maybe. I don't see that as a flaw though since books aren't meant to just be mirrors of things we already know or of what we already are.
I'd say this book is very character driven and since I don't want to spoil anyone and I think the characters are what makes the story go on and keep the readers on the tip of their toes I think I should rate the characters and not the plot itself!
Starting with Cleo our main character. I personally liked Cleo. She could come off as too melodramatic but I think that's just how she was. At the end of the day she was still just in her twenties trying to figure herself out. Still I have to say it was a bit mean and painful when she shows Frank her final art piece.
It's Frank's turn now. I also liked Frank. I think he got the ending he needed and I was glad to see him get better by the end of the book though I find it unfair to Cleo how he only did it when he did it...I think Frank was a very flawed character and unfortunately for me I tend to like those characters a lot. Still he was very imature.
I think for Anders I can just say...The bathroom scene in his chapter...The man has some serious issues. I found it quite sweet how he took care.of his ex girlfriend's son even though he didn't have too. I think that gave him some depth but it still didn't make me like him.
Eleanor seemed to me the realest of all the characters. Her chapters were always quite comforting and seemed private like we were reading her diary's entries. When she made jokes I laughed and when she was sad I cried with her. I liked Eleanor and I was happy for her. Even though I'll admit that I kinda didn't like her in the beginning...
Quentin is Cleo's troubled best friend. I have to admit that in the beginning of the book I found him funny even though his behaviour was probably questionable...I mean his wedding present...? As the book went on I started to get tired and annoyed of him. I think for me he truly remembered me and encapsulated a toxic best friend I once had...And I had to say it hit a nerve every time he was reckless and every time he dismissed Cleo's problems. So I would have to say he is definitely not on my top 3...
Santiago is on my top 3 though! I quite liked Santiago and his whole character development. I liked to read about his past as I liked to read about his present. The way he cared for Cleo and also for Frank always made me smile.
Last but definitely not least I'm rating Zoe. Zoe is Frank's younger sister. I found her to be quite funny and it was entertaining to read about her life. I liked to read about her development and the way she grew as the narrative went on.
I think that's is all I have to say. I enjoyed reading this book and maybe a couple of yours from now when I'm in my twenties I'll reread this and find it even more realistic.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death