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sharktwoth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Medical content, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Ableism, Mental illness, Abandonment, Animal death, Bullying, and Child abuse
Moderate: Medical content, Dementia, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Cursing, Animal cruelty, and Emotional abuse
bookishfaye's review
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I think as a response to Frankenstein/the Prometheus myth and with commentary about man playing god within science and also monstrosity, there are some interesting things at play within this book. There were moments where I felt very seen by Charlie, and at times very beautiful/important language towards disability as well, it’s just a very very hard read that has extreme ableism/misogyny culture from the late 1950’s marked all over it.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, Medical content, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexism, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Misogyny
dazedl'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? Yes
5.0
I read the short story years ago when I was a teenager - and coming back to this book in my mid 20s, I have a newfound appreciation towards the central themes of childhood trauma, intellectual disability and messing with someone's true nature. I found myself having deeper empathy and understanding towards Charlie's character development more than my first reading of the short story.
Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Medical content, Ableism, Mental illness, and Bullying
Moderate: Animal cruelty
tungstenmouse's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexism, Dementia, Racism, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Excrement, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Incest, Homophobia, Medical content, and Misogyny
It’s an older book so expect language and character attitudes that are not okay now.plbngrs's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Sexism, and Child abuse
ak97x's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Dysphoria, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Chronic illness and Sexual content
Minor: Animal cruelty
writingcaia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m not even sure I’m intelectual enough to understand everything the author meant with the story, but one thing I did learn, whether on the bottom or the up of intelligence (IQ) as you get farther away from the norm the more isolating it is.
With intellect you question everything, your emotions grow, but you also start to feel contempt for those with less smarts than you.
This is a very humane story, a sad story, a story about intelligence and how it affects the way you see yourself, others and the world around, and also how you form bonds of love.
I saw the twist at once, as it was the worse and more realistic outcome.
I liked it, at times a lot, especially the first half but as Charlie’s smarts grew it became harder and less interesting, at the end it was hard and sad, but still beautiful somehow.
Definitely an interesting story with a great insight into human nature and how it relates to our intellect.
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Child abuse, Bullying, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
rooothy69's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The beginning is intentionally hard to read, and not hard as in the concepts, hard as in things are spelled wrong and there is no punctuation. This was intentional but I still feel like I should note it. I was glad that that style of writing did not last for too long, as it was taking me much longer to read and therefore it was a little slow to get into. I didn't really know where the author was going with the novel. The book is told through diary entries (or progress reports that are basically journals), so you really get a feel for the character, but not so much the world. Thankfully, I'm from New York City, so I understood all the geographical places mentioned. However, anyone not acquainted with the city might feel much more untethered.
But I suppose the setting wasn't too important to the novel, as it mainly focused on the mental setting rather than the physical. I love character change, and I love being able to identify the change. The writing style was most easily identifiable, as an indicator of change, but there were other things too. I liked that through the actual subtext you could see how the character, Charlie, was changing and especially how he saw the world evolved.
The part I loved most about the book was the introspective and reflective aspects, especially when it came to human nature. I suppose I'm just a sucker for all things existential or attempt to reveal things about the inherent kindness of people. I love that the book subverted all notions of the haunted genius.
There were so many beautiful lines and I wish I could write all of them down, but I won't. Also something to note before going into the book is that it was written in the late 1950s, when the use of the r word was scientifically preferred. But I feel like Keyes was actually way ahead of his time, especially when talking about people with all different mental abilities. Throughout the novel he implores us to recognize that even though Charlie is mentally slow, he is still a person. Keyes shows us the abuse that people who are intellectually disabled went through, but shows us how Charlie feels and reacts to it. Throughout the novel, Charlie's main motivation is that he wants to be seen as human. He wants to be "normal."
I have so much to say about this book, but overall, it was a book that truly made me feel things and some parts of it were written in such beautiful prose with such good messages I wish I could go back and reread it for the first time again.
Graphic: Ableism, Medical content, Abandonment, and Bullying
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
jeremie'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Ableism and Child abuse
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Dementia
ky001113'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
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, Cursing, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Dementia
Minor: Animal death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Animal cruelty, and Confinement