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lindsaysymes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Rape
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Minor: Gun violence, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
sarahholliday's review
- 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
4.25
If I had to describe the story in a single word, it'd be: BLEAK. A relentless study in just how gross and awful humans can be, there's also the added weight of climate change, broken-down familial relationships, and an oppressive sense of hopelessness.
But that might be why the ending (I won't spoil anything here, don't worry) is so beautiful. There are no "easy" answers or perfect happily-ever-afters, but there is hope. Bieker forces readers to sit in the truly miserable, to face the realities experienced by so many, in order to point out the ability of love, kindness, and beauty to exist in the most unlikely of places. There's no sentimentality in that idea, either. Just a simple yet deeply-rooted conviction that things can be truly awful and occasionally wonderful all at the same time.
This is definitely not a book for everyone, but it'll go on my recommendation list nevertheless and I'll be waiting to run across the right reader.
Graphic: Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, and Gaslighting
lycheejelly's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abandonment, Alcohol, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood, Car accident, Cursing, Abortion, Cancer, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Fatphobia
onewoman_bookclub's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide, Gun violence, and Alcoholism
belleden's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
rileyharrell's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Okay I did not NOT like this book, but I did not LIKE this book either. I am unsure about my feelings for this book. This story contains so many trigger warnings that I feel like it isn't the best forum here on Goodreads to even list them all. Anyways this has such a unique writing style that it took me a minute to get into. However, once I did, it went pretty smoothly. Some of the characters were hard to read and follow, so not really sure where their story went. I didn't feel that it was very character-driven or developed, and I felt that it wasn't necessarily plot-driven either? All of the characters, including Lacey May felt really underdeveloped and this book didn't really give them any room to grow. You could tell Bieker really wanted them to grown and definitely gave them an opportunity to do so, but it fell short in the writing of developed characters for sure.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Gun violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence
merc's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit and Gun violence
apersonfromflorida's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
Minor: Infertility
shelfmadewoman's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
I loved watching our protagonist, Lacey May, and her development throughout the book. I sometime felt that the writing of her internal thoughts were... too on the nose? But I brushed that off with her young age and the trauma she was experiencing.
Oh, yeah, about the trauma. This is often where a book fails for me personally. Trauma/suicide as plot points are a sensitive subject as a suicide survivor. Personally, none of it really bothered me in this story. I felt that the trauma was rooted in the story. The suicides were explained and justified and not ignored by the author. This is difficult territory for storytelling, but I think it was mostly handled with care. I’d love to know how others felt on this.
This might be a good book for you if you like cult stories, mother-daughter relationships, and have a strong stomach.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Abortion
mostlymusings's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Confinement
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide