rei_reads's review
- 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: Drug abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Vomit, Addiction, and War
Minor: Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Pregnancy
kitty03'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
3.75
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Emotional abuse
llayaz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Murder, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Cursing, Child death, Grief, Drug use, Death, Blood, Alcohol, Addiction, Violence, and Drug abuse
Minor: Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, Gun violence, and Infidelity
bookishbilingual's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
clellman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Violence, Gun violence, Cursing, and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Abortion, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, and Mass/school shootings
magpie_'s review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Toxic friendship, Classism, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Hate crime, War, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Suicide, Alcoholism, Drug use, Infidelity, and Drug abuse
Minor: Hate crime, Vomit, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, War, Mental illness, and Mass/school shootings
lorit1227's review
- 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: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Bullying, Child death, and Racial slurs
chloebear21's review
- 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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Violence, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Drug use
mysterymom46's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Addiction, Torture, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Hate crime
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Suicide
Minor: Suicide, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
brooke_city's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A simple plot with complex feelings. An ugly time in America's past; and present, tbh.
On the surface, it's about a mother's search for her daughter. At its core, it's a story of hate/hope. (I liked how Bobby put that: the opposite of hate isn't love, but hope.)
Mary Pat is a frustrating character to be in the head of. She fancies herself better than the other Southies who wear their racism on their sleeve, but she's just as quick to make snap judgments. She's one of those "you're a good Black, not like the others" racist.
As a reader, you can feel her desperation of wanting to know what happened to her daughter. And it takes her into some feelings she wouldn't otherwise have, had Jules not been involved in the murder of Auggie. And just when you think "she finally gets it," she slides right back into her whiteness and feeling of superiority.
Spoiler
It was important thar Mary Pat attend the funeral bc there were hard truths she needed to hear, a devastated community she needed to see. And I was glad that Auggie's parents didn't spare her feelings. They weren't the "model minority" to turn the other cheek and sing kumbaya bc they both lost children that night. Hope – represented by an intelligent young Black man, Auggie – was snuffed out that by hate – represented by Jules, who was pregnant by a married man, drug dealer, and pedophile. Stereotypes often associated with Black men.Mary Pat fostered a home of hatred. Bobby's character is proof of nature vs nurture, bc despite his parents being dysfunctional, abusive drunks, they didn't tolerate racism. I think his relationship with Carmen shows that everyone can have baggage, preconceived notions, diff backgrounds – but can come together by communicating.
It's a heavy, heavy story. And I can't imagine anyone else but Robin Miles narrating it flawlessly. A Black woman delivering a dark time in our history with great inflection. Rage inducing and heartbreaking at the same time.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse
Minor: Adult/minor relationship