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3ofclubs'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
4.75
I listened to the audiobook version and the narration, by the author herself, was really good too. The prose is very poetic, to the point where I may have found it too flowery for my tastes were I reading the book with my eyes, but hearing the words read aloud was a very pleasant experience, and I found her Irish accent very relaxing as well.
I did find it a little annoying how the main character doesn't seem to have a name: every time Theo refers to her, he calls her Angel, which could be a name or just a nickname. And while the ambiguity is kinda clever + fun, it feels a little forced at times, with a few situations where it's hard for me to imagine her not introducing herself by name.
Also, a few things I'm dissatisfied with,
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Suicide attempt
chireadsandchill'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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
lizaxwin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book deals with so many important topics and so many horrible people (all or at least some of which all of us have had or sadly will have in our lives sometime or another). Theo was a walking red flag basically, although a lot of his toxic behaviour nearly went undetected. This, imo, was one of the strength of the „upside-down“ storyline. You knew what to look out for.
I‘m still unsure if I find it infuriating that we never find out the protagonist‘s name or if I think it‘s a clever way of showing that every woman could be her.
All in all, a clever story with lots of depth, ma be a few pages too many and definitely a book which practically screams to be read at least two or three times to be grasped in its entirety.
(Definitely check trigger warnings for this one)
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape
ceryswilliams'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
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
iamnotclara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Minor: Death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual harassment
kmcrossman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Infidelity and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment
skudiklier'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
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Medical content, Abortion, and War
shershenk'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? Yes
3.25
That being said, the individual chapters and moments were often beautifully executed and evocative…They just often seemed existent without purpose.
I will also say that the characters did feel very real. I quite enjoyed our unnamed main character (the fact that she went intentionally unnamed went over my head for over half the book, but I can take responsibility for that oversight), and Theo and even Maya felt very fleshed out.
All in all, I had a good time!
Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual harassment