jordan_uhden'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, and Violence
smkelly1997's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Violence
mschmehl'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
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug use, Violence, Rape, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity
raechalws'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Murder, Child death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Grief, Abandonment, Blood, Drug use, Chronic illness, Bullying, and Misogyny
rosesofthespring's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Jess Lourey writes with an anger that demands answers. Why are men allowed to act with violence in response to the same injuries that women are expected to swallow and smile through? Why are the hopes, futures, and very lives of girls an acceptable loss in the face of men's desires?
"Does that sound like the kind of guy who would abduct a girl?"
If your answer is no, what would it take to change it to a yes?
I didn't grow up in the 70s, when this book is set, but the echoes of a midwest girlhood resound through the decades. Parties you know you shouldn't go to. Friends pressured and stifled simultaneously, growing up way too fast. Men and boys who think you owe them something. This is an absolute powerhouse of fiction.
If I had one genuine criticism of this story, it would be that everything wraps up a little too cleanly. However, given what Lourey has been through in her life -and what she puts the reader through in her book- maybe that's a catharsis we both deserve.
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cursing, Death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Police brutality, Rape, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Gore, Murder, Kidnapping, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pedophilia
Moderate: Infidelity, Stalking, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
Here I'll try to expand on cases where the content is explicit, but does not take up that much page space. With regards to pedophilia:Spoiler
Adult men are revealed to be coercing underage girls into sexual contact. The youngest girl we see on-page is 16, but there's evidence of girls potentially as young as 12 being in the same situation.Spoiler
The top cop in the area is essentially trafficking girls. He's found to be using the authority of the badge to trade sexual favors for expunging juvenile offenses. While this isn't "violent" in the sense of a physical attack, it's certainly sexual brutalization.hollyslibraryholds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Murder, Misogyny, Grief, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Drug use, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexism, Rape, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Mental illness