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reedandright'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Sexual content, Child abuse, Rape, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Child death, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Incest, Domestic abuse, and Classism
nouveau'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
3.0
Graphic: Classism, Child death, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Murder, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Incest, Terminal illness, and Death of parent
ksamaine95'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
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Murder, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Adult/minor relationship
jules6469's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child death, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Drug abuse
Minor: Suicide and Murder
jraye1998'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
4.0
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief
aquariusisms's review
- 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
having read both sadie and now this from courtney summers, i can say with certainty she's a master at writing complex, flawed, sometimes unlikeable but always loveable teenage girls. georgia was often infuriating to read as our protagonist, but only because her naivete and desperation for external validation of her worth (mainly through others validating her beauty) were achingly true to life and will make adult readers want to save her from her poor decisions. she wanted so much, was desperate for so much more in her life, and i wanted so much more for her. her relationships with her brother, mother, and nora were raw and heartbreaking and i saw myself in the way she struggled to make sense of her place in a world not built for her.
the themes here were so strong too- summers asks big questions such as: can girls and women truly manipulate the power dynamics between them and men, or is men's historical and empirical power over them inescapable? and: if dismantling patriarchy is a long and achingly slow process, and we as individuals can't do much about that, how do we build worlds for ourselves in the meantime, full of care and love? how do we dream of better futures outside of the structures of beauty we've been taught?
ultimately, this book is a treatise on grieving the girls and women who have been victims of systemic male violence in a world that makes that grief feel utterly isolating, and justice futile and powerless. this story calls it like it is and courtney summers does not pull punches when it comes to discussing how bleak and horrible the world can be to girls and women, especially those who are multiply marginalized. but the final message is ultimately about resilience, grasping at hope in the wake of trauma, and carving out space for yourself in a world that would rather see you disappear. it's about discovering the truth, defining beauty as you see it, and refusing to erase yourself and your values for the sake of assimilation and patriarchal power.
i'm only knocking it down 0.5 stars because i felt the pacing was a little off at times, and i think the protagonist's views of beauty = self-worth could have been interrogated more- but that said, it was still a completely engrossing and vitally important thriller, and i recommend picking it up if you can stomach the different triggers within.
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcohol and Drug abuse
onemamareads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
chl0reads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
jamiesbookclub's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child death, Grief, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness
theremightbecupcakes's review
- 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
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Car accident, Child death, Grief, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Rape, and Sexual content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Violence