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alyssaakdefusco'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Outing
Moderate: Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
jessife'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
5.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Religious bigotry
brichneyfloss'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
4.0
Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
caties_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
lovelymisanthrope'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
"The Heart's Invisible Furies" follows Cyril throughout his life. He was adopted by a wealthy family when he was a baby, but his adoptive father made it very clear that Cyril is not a real Avery. Being adopted at such a young age, being held at an arm's length by his adoptive parents, and going through adolescence just trying to uncover who he is all together made Cyril really struggle with his identity. This book is an exploration of self and what it means to be home.
This book was heartbreaking, devastating, and provided amazing content for discussion. Cyril had a challenging life of never really fitting in, and to top it all off, he discovers he is gay. Being gay in Ireland in the 1940s was not acceptable and being openly gay invited unwanted violence. Cyril tried to repress who he was for so long because he knew how dangerous it was, which is so devastating, but provides important historical context for gay history. This was a very real fear for many individuals until more recently, but even in today's world, there are places where it is not safe to be openly gay. Though this is a huge part of Cyril's identity, I really enjoyed that this was not the only element of identity explored in the novel.
Cyril is not the perfect character, he makes mistakes and hurts people throughout his life, but he does have a good heart and he tries to make the best decisions he can. He is almost painfully average, which makes him so relatable.
This book is ambitious with trying to cover a character's entire life, but I think it is executed beautifully. It did take me a little while to get into the story and really enjoy Cyril as a character. But, once I was invested in Cyril, I did not want to put this book down.
This book does explore some very heavy topics, so I do not recommend it for everyone, but it is a stunning novel and if you feel compelled, I do encourage you to read it.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
kjan318's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book reminds me of another book, "A Little Life".
Another astonishing story that describes the life of the main character about 70 years long, it reasonably convinced me how we as humans could be influenced significantly and grow differently by culture, upbringing, and environment. the main takeaways for me after reading this book: 1. distinguish the "impossibility" and "reality", the front can toxicate you if you obsess on it, the latter can nourishing you 2. Don't Lie, be honest to yourself, your life and your surroundings.
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship