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immi_rae'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Violence, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Rape
chanatova'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
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Police brutality
Minor: Homophobia
josettet's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Rape, and Mass/school shootings
notthatcosta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The bottom line is that I didn't really like a single character in the book, and even the protagonist made some infuriating decisions at points and overall my feeling was 'this place is not for you, you are above these people and you need to get the hell out of there' - which although a simplification, seemed preferable to sticking around in such a place. Also, her mum was a total arsehole and I don't know if I was supposed to like her, but I certainly didn't.
Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I feel like most of the aspects I took issue with were at least strong intentional stylistic choices made by the author, and I can always respect a big swing.
Oh and ALSO, the random 11th hour gay subplot was egregious.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
just_jess02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
On the other hand, Anna did a great job of making the reader understand the existence of middle sister. I felt the anxiety, the fear, the connections, the paranoid state of the community, etc. Maybe she just did too good of a job with the feelings of time passing, the long/drawn out thoughts of every moment, the mundane nature of every day life. When I got to the end I felt like a deserved a big payoff for making it through… but it sort of just fizzled out in a “life goes on” idea.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
lennie_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Rape, and Sexual assault
jmbz38'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
3.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence
ollie_again's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
So that was that. That was me told. And no longer was I a vile old spinster refusing to get married, but now most definitely an unconnected, unbonded loose woman, but her words, insulting and disdaining, came not from her daughter's ill-working of creative raw material, but from her own ill-working of creative raw material; relaying to me too, the latest rumour of me and the milkman whilst managing to perpetuate it on at the same time. As with the milkman -as with all of them - here again was someone who knew the answers so wasn't asking questions, wasn't interested either, in how I might respond.
This was exhausting to read, to finish but despite the stream of consciousness that is not my cup of tea usually, I was sucked in. Infuriated. Angry. Confused. But also more and more paranoid. The tale of gossip, lies and, constant gaslighting from every corner; the disinterest and unlogical acts of the main character. Her trying to get out of the web of spun yarn, fake yarn, yarn that pulled her deeper and deeper into all of the wrongdoings she has supposedly done and does them still. At some point, you doubt everyone and try to see if they are also telling untruths; if they are the danger on the page. Milkman gets into your head and won't leave until the very last page. And maybe he'll stay with you even longer.
Exhausting to get through, but brilliant at the same time.
Graphic: Gun violence, Vomit, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, and Suicide
yelafeld's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Homophobia
whatjaimereads's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Clearly a great piece of work, but this definitely could’ve been edited down further - there were numerous times where I was just waiting for the narrator to please get to the point.
If you don’t get on with the first hundred pages, save yourself the time and don’t put yourself through the rest of it.
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence, Rape, and Sexual assault