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azileotulp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Anyway... wow. This book wrecked me. I knew it would, just like the first one did, but my goodness. I'll just start off with the things I liked... which was basically everything? I think the biggest criticisms I've seen for this book and the first one are that there's no plot to them, which has never bothered me. I love a character-driven book, especially when the characters are as great as these. Valentino and Orion are adorable and work great together. I loved their dynamic.
I loved all the connections to the previous book too. I tried to find a list of all of them, but sadly haven't been able to. I did keep the first book near me at all times while reading this one just so I could try to find them.
I liked a lot of the side stories too.
Even though that was an issue for me, it didn't really take away from my enjoyment too much. There were, however, two things that prevented this book from being perfect. One, the slang. Oh my goodness, I had the same problem in the first book too. I don't know if it's just really bad at first and gradually gets better throughout the book, or if I just got so used to it from how often it was used in the beginning. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate slang in books, but I do hate it in this book. At times, it feels like it was written by a 60-year-old trying to be hip and trendy, even though the actual author is pretty young. Really, that's my biggest problem with the book. I cringed far too often reading some of this. The only other thing I didn't enjoy was the slow start. When I read the first book, I was instantly attached to Mateo, seeing a lot of myself in him, and Rufus grew on me fairly quickly. While reading this book, I don't think I truly cared for Valentino or Orion that much until I was almost halfway through the book. I can't really explain why didn't work for me at first, but they just didn't.
Even though I have my issues, I still can't say how much I enjoyed this book. I don't think I'll ever be okay again, but I said the same thing after I read the first book. (Yes, I keep bringing up the first book, but cut me some slack. I'm still mourning.) If you're looking for a book with a grand plot and adventure, this isn't for you. But if you want to see some gays fall in love before tragedy strikes (not a spoiler, you read the title), then you've come to the right place.
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, Child abuse, Suicide, and Infidelity
- Both of Orion's parents died in the 9/11 attacks. This is mentioned frequently.mhatcher16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Sexual content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
khowick24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Minor: Sexual content and Domestic abuse
asipior's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
sorcha's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Chronic illness, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Violence, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content
cams's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
iamaprettyflower's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Minor: Death, Violence, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, and Murder
ashmak06's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Medical content
Moderate: Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Car accident
Minor: Sexual content
jjsmaybank20's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Gun violence
teawitchontravel's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Medical content, Outing, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Infidelity and Alcohol