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itzbrianna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There are several things Tremblay does well aside from his way with words. He is skilled at forcing the reader to reflect on the choices being presented to the characters causing them to analyze their own beliefs and choices they make or would make in a similar situation. He also does a great job of weaving in religion without it being preachy and instead focuses the questions on each character’s actions instead.
I enjoyed most of this story and loved how reflective it was from beginning to end. There were some things Tremblay could’ve done better though. The story is slow, which isn’t a problem in this case, but in certain parts the story is too slow with unnecessary descriptors that took me out of the story. There is a lot from this book that could’ve been cut to make the impact on us (the reader) stronger. Also the switch in POVs was sometimes jarring, but I get what the author was trying to do with that. It just could’ve been done better.
There is an event that happens which is a turning point in the story. After this moment, the novel starts to drag only finally picking back up when it’s almost the end. I think having the characters be two gay men with an adopted daughter was a perfect choice. And the differences between Andrew and Eric are apparent throughout the story. The most impactful part for me was the last few pages. I literally wept at the end, snot and hiccuping and everything.
I would recommend this book as it has beautiful imagery and is fun to analyze with friends or with a book club. The overarching plot is entertaining and I personally think the payoff is worth it. But I guess it just depends on how you’re interpreting the story.
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Misogyny and Medical trauma
marissa_nancy_nicole's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
spaghettii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
thebearnest's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, and Homophobia
Minor: Suicide and Vomit
waterlogged's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death and Murder
Moderate: Confinement and Religious bigotry
Minor: Homophobia
danibee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
kickitupanotch7'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: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Vomit
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic
jully_bean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Hate crime and Homophobia
traa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Homophobia and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Animal death and Stalking
jaedia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic