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sibertooth's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Two notes.
One, this is a better book than the movie for the same reason 2001: A Space Odyssey is as good a book as the movie: It puts a solid foundation under those striking voices and images. Even very good acting and directing have trouble being precise and thorough when it comes to background information and internal thoughts. Prose is the right medium for these things.
(Also, I like the book's ending better. It's less preposterous and less drawn-out.)
Two, I normally can't stand the kind of book where people have intense, complicated relationships with their adult siblings and feel inappropriately responsible for their parents dying and struggle to be happy in relationships because of their low self-esteem etc. etc. I don't go for the so-called emotional reads; that kind of emotion just isn't what I read for.
But this book is a gorgeous, triumphant exception. It isn't just that it's a good enough thriller that I can excuse the aforementioned emotional baggage; Babe's inner life, in all its wounded tearjerkitude, is what makes the whole thing work. And I don't know how. Alchemy, I guess.
One, this is a better book than the movie for the same reason 2001: A Space Odyssey is as good a book as the movie: It puts a solid foundation under those striking voices and images. Even very good acting and directing have trouble being precise and thorough when it comes to background information and internal thoughts. Prose is the right medium for these things.
(Also, I like the book's ending better. It's less preposterous and less drawn-out.)
Two, I normally can't stand the kind of book where people have intense, complicated relationships with their adult siblings and feel inappropriately responsible for their parents dying and struggle to be happy in relationships because of their low self-esteem etc. etc. I don't go for the so-called emotional reads; that kind of emotion just isn't what I read for.
But this book is a gorgeous, triumphant exception. It isn't just that it's a good enough thriller that I can excuse the aforementioned emotional baggage; Babe's inner life, in all its wounded tearjerkitude, is what makes the whole thing work. And I don't know how. Alchemy, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Antisemitism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Suicide, Cursing, Genocide, and Grief
Minor: Homophobia, Fatphobia, Vomit, Confinement, and Racism
alida_f's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Torture
Moderate: Genocide and Racial slurs
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