alyvia_jeane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Alcohol, Grief, and Bullying
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Pedophilia
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The tone of the story is charming and peppered with conversational notes for children on vocabulary and grammar ("vocabulary and grammar", in this sense means, the words that are used, and in which order, so that they make good sense.) I laughed at parts of the story such as when a child is reading late at night and is so tired that he repeats the same part over and repeats the same part over and repeats the same part over.
I find it a little irksome that to have scary adult characters they lean into the body horror, caricaturing an amputee with two hooks for hands and a fat, gender indeterminate person with white eyes. It's a bit circus freakshow, and challenges my desire for positive representation of Disability. Call me a snowflake, I dare you.
For a book that ostensibly has nothing but unfortunate happenings, sad beginnings, and sad endings, I was still not surprised that the children use their extensive resourcefulness to solve problems. It would be utterly unengaging if there was no hope, but the whole point is that these children are relatively irrepressible (which means that compared to most people, they don't let unfortunate or difficult things stop them). Yes the ending faces them with a new valamity, but such is the way with serial stories.
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Violence, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Bullying
ophycore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Fatphobia, Violence, Grief, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Transphobia and Alcohol
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Spoiler
Neglect, Abductionannoyedhumanoid's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Spoiler
the slap to the face and all the other adults laughGraphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Grief, and Death
Minor: Incest, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Pedophilia
themadbloodstone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Pedophilia
scruffie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I'm curious enough to check out the next books, but I'm not as impressed as I'd hoped I'd be.
Graphic: Kidnapping, Torture, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Blood, Grief, and Alcohol
sallytumbler13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
maeverose's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Ableism, Transphobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, and Fatphobia
Minor: Blood
capybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Death, and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse
cloveofgarlic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Kidnapping, Violence, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, and Pedophilia