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luise96's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Police brutality
lilly_anne'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? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Dementia, Drug use, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Cancer, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual content
spcandybars'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
2.0
One source of irritation I had with this book came from a cast of characters that I either hated or just felt entirely neutral towards. Another was having a differing stance on GMO technology than the one pushed in the book. Another was overly convenient plotting that felt like it served no one and heavily distracted from the family dynamic we were focused on. It made elements of the book feel cheesy and unnecessary and the characters introduced to carry out these sections weren’t fleshed out enough or impactful on the primary character enough to justify their presence. The A and B plot just don’t suite each other and I felt like both would be stronger stories on their own.
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Dementia, Infertility, and Miscarriage
alisonburnis's review
- 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
4.25
Next door, Cass has been taking care of Yumi’s parents for years, and her husband Will has acquired their land. Cass, more than anything, wants a baby but after years of trying, a bout of cancer, and nothing but pain to show for it, it’s another layer of resentment between her and Yumi and their complex friendship.
Enter the Seeds of Resistance. A group of environmental activists, they make their way to Liberty Falls to meet Yumi’s parents, who’ve been running a seed company, with values the Seeds believe align with their goals. A ragtag, unconventional story of family and friendship blossoms from their arrival: the challenges of loving people who make difficult decisions and hurt you, who you don’t always agree with, and the ways we build our communities.
I really enjoyed this, though it wasn’t my absolute favourite Ozeki. It’s very challenging - the characters make a lot of frustrating decisions to the very end. But Ozeki is kind to them, and in turn invites us to be easy on everyone in the story.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, and Racism
emzireads's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Infertility, and Death of parent
Minor: Abortion
clem's review
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, and Terminal illness
lazydaisy's review
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I removed 0.25 stars because my sense of justice wished that the plotline with Elliott
I also wish there had been more conversation around the danger of allowing Lloyd (or someone like him) at the forefront of a movement, equating the efforts against GMOs to movements against abortion, especially given that the women in the Seeds identified as outspoken feminists. Calling out that tension and having a conversation about the nuances of so-called "sanctity" of life, perhaps with The Seeds and Yumi's children being given room to acknowledge the intense pain Yumi's father's shame had caused her, could have offered an interesting exploration of the gendered aspects of this political struggle.
Instead, Yumi is re-traumatized by her Dad's words once he becomes the spokesperson for this new movement, going back to her childhood rapist/boyfriend for comfort, and resented by her children because of this. Even though things do work out slightly better by the end, I was disappointed that Lloyd's treatment as the victim of this situation by characters surrounding him wasn't called into question (with Yumi's victimhood being seen as merely an excuse, or worse, her own fault), and Elliott didn't get more than a slap on the wrist (without deeper reflection on how this is often the case for manipulators/abusers).
However, overall it was a thought-provoking novel that tugged on my heart-strings and created characters that were complex, making it hard to put down the book.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Infertility, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, and Religious bigotry