lissybeth91'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? It's complicated
5.0
This device makes you really feel that you are one of Kathy's friends, or maybe just a chance acquaintance, or perhaps one of her donors who has been asking for stories of Hailsham.
All in all, this is a devastating book, will make you ponder all the things that bind us together as humans.
Graphic: Slavery, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/injury detail, Bullying, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Blood, Infertility, Injury/injury detail, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia, Chronic illness, and Cancer
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Bullying and Infertility
Minor: Homophobia
oceanwriter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The story follows Kathy as she reflects on her life and relationships at the Hailsham boarding school. In this ultimate universe, people like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are lumped in these 'schools' as they were created with one purpose in mind — to be organ donors.
I'd call this light sci-fi, which I do like, I just found the pacing to be too slow (a similar issue I had with The Remains of the Day). There was also a glaring lack of world-building. Without a lot of context, I struggled to connect to the characters and the universe.
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexual content, Infertility, and Bullying
katniss_li'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Infertility and Bullying
jabberwalky's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Child abuse, Child death, Bullying, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Homophobia, and Infertility
berodatheelf'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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Medical content, Bullying, Sexual content, and Medical trauma
mpbookreviews'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, Medical content, Homophobia, and Cursing
anningana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Bullying and Medical content
wolfism'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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, and Infertility
Minor: Homophobia and Toxic friendship
kirareads02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Really lovely, romantic and hopeful book. At the start I was hooked but couldn't understand reviews as to why it was classed as a dystopian novel so that was interesting for me.
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Terminal illness, Death, Grief, Medical content, Infertility, and Sexual content
Minor: War, Classism, Cursing, Cancer, and Confinement