anaguana'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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Infidelity, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Police brutality and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage
mishasbooks'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
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Car accident, Sexual content, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Outing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent
msameliee'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: Drug use, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Gun violence, Eating disorder, Car accident, and Miscarriage
hayleythegoose'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
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cursing, Addiction, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, and Car accident
evan_all'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? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
kai_okay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Personally, I liked the first part better. I really enjoyed the backstory of the Riva family although I cried not just once. It started out so calm and simply escalated from there on.
I really liked how different the characters were, yet I could bring up sympathy for almost all of them. It was interesting - and devastating - to see how generational trauma unfolds.
The second part, in which the party finally takes place, reminded me of 'The Great Gatsby', so I was delighted to read in the Q&A in the end of my print version, that TJR was indeed inspired by it.
To be honest, I expected a much worse ending and was very happy that it played out that way.
All in all it is a great book with beautiful writing, a georgeous setting and interesting characters that deals with many serious topics.
Spoiler
TW: The book deals with alcoholism in a very detailed and emotional way./Spoiler
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Pregnancy
Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
lovealwaysadi'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
4.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, and Car accident
Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Abortion, Racism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Medical content
jor_dy'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
3.5
- the exploration (even if minuscule) of quite literally each and every character that is mentioned
- the summertime vibe
- easy, quick read
- the author’s understanding that humans have multiple sides, and people aren’t always 100% good (though it matter that they try to be)
Spoiler
- the way carrie soto immediately apologizes to nina at the party (a nice break from two women arguing over a piece of shit man)- chosen family
- the ending
- NINA CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Spoiler
ESPECIALLY HER RANT TO MICK AT THE END UGH- kit and ricky are literally robin and steve
Spoiler
the coming out scene was literally how it went in st????what i disliked:
- characters are allowed only ONE personality trait, except nina who gets TWO because she’s the author’s favorite 😊
- the relationship between the siblings. on one hand, they love each other very much and it is clear that they would do anything for each other. but at the same time they did not feel like they were written as sibling. they felt more like childhood friends???
- the timeline was so ambiguous?? like it could be set at literally any point in history after 1950. i wish the time periods in the book were more clearly detailed and it felt like i was actually experiencing the characters in, say, the ‘60s or the ‘80s
- the omniscient, constantly switching pov. i don’t care about whoever tf wendy is get back to the main point.
- when the men in the book got mad at someone for accusing them of shit they know they did
- everything felt so utterly predictable
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Car accident, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Violence
nina riva, a central character, is a model and as part of that she mentions being on a dietSpoiler
in order to lose weightbluedilly's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Death, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Chronic illness
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Sexism, Violence, Abortion, Blood, Car accident, Misogyny, and Racism
sas_ram's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
Minor: Car accident and Miscarriage