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melissafirman's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
1. I'm a big fan of Jennifer Finney Boylan's writing and a bit less so of Jodi Picoult's. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have picked this up if JFB wasn't a co-author. For those new to her work, I highly recommend her novel Long Black Veil and memoir I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted. This is the third book of Jodi Picoult's I've read and all have been 3 stars.
2. For most of the first half (perhaps even 3/4) of the book, I was fully invested in the plot, wanting to know what happened. I felt the pacing was excellent, up to a particular point.
3. I loved Lily, felt like I knew her, and was truly sorry she was dead. (Not a spoiler-it's right on the book jacket.)
As we got closer to the end, however, it felt like several key aspects started to unravel. Mostly, I HAVE ISSUES AND LOTS OF QUESTIONS. Rant below:
Some other issues: There's a lot about beekeeping, almost too much. I think those sections could have been greatly condensed. Plus, there are a lot of heavy topics included in this novel (read the trigger warnings) and that felt a bit like trauma p**n at times, not to mention repetitive, particularly regarding Olivia's relationship with her ex-husband. Overall, this could have been much shorter.
3.5 stars.
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Outing
Minor: Stalking and Abortion
annabelreadsandwrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria
Minor: Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Car accident
rachelmerrie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Hated part of the ending: (VAGUE SPOILER)
Why did she get a slap on the wrist when he would’ve had his whole life taken from him?
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
bitesizedbeet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Outing, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol