mjreadings's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Abortion, Classism, and Fire/Fire injury
gertrudski'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
5.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Racism
blumoonie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Racism, Infertility, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Grief
Moderate: Child death
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Abortion, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Kidnapping, and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Car accident, Cancer, and Cursing
midnightmarauder'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
The story revolves around a family in Shaker Heights, The Richardsons, whose lives are unknowingly shaken up after Mia and Pearl Warren arrive into town.
The Richardson matriarch, Elena, is a woman who has a white-savior complex, to say the very least. She's lived in the idyllic community of Shaker Heights her entire life, where racism is virtually non-existent and everyone gets along. She often feels as though it is her duty to keep things orderly and perfect, and to help those she sees as being in need.
This shows itself with the arrival of Mia Warren, a single black mother, who arrives with her daughter, Pearl. She allows Mia to stay in her rental property, seeing it as a "good deed" to the less fortunate.
As time goes on, Elena finds Mia's unwillingness to to talk about her past, threatening to her somehow, and
Spoiler
uses her journalistic skills to dig up information on Mia's lifeLooking into Mia and her life leads her down a path of destruction, where she
Spoiler
looks through the medical files of her old college roommate to get dirt to help a friend's custody caseSpoiler
pretends to be writing a story about Mia's brother and drives all the way out to her old home in Pennsylvania, to find out all that she can about Mia, instead of just asking herSpoiler
burn down the family home in revengeI don't think I've ever hated a character so much. I hated her in the Hulu miniseries, and I hate her even more in this book. The book is a great read, but can be hard at times because of how vitriolic Elena is.
Moderate: Abortion, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
noellelala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Emotional abuse
maggievanningen'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
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy
sharebear431'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Classism, Kidnapping, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Miscarriage
kjm_x'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
4.0
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Racism, and Toxic friendship
maddie_1999'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
4.75
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship