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tmfan03's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Don’t know what to think. No book has filled me with such intangible melancholy with this one. Joy Williams is absolutely brilliant, but I don’t even know what to rate it. I think it was too smart for me
geoffreylittle's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent main characters and god-like writing abilities. The story is a fantastic premise but seemed to constantly spin out into abstractions. I had no idea where we were in the story by the last 30 pages. The author is unusually comfortable with spectacular and bizarre asides.
nanyabiznes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
cmcrockford's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Read to catch up with an old Weird Studies episode but the experience is hypnotic and deeply, deeply sad. The title and plot promises something more structured, and I did think of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard's Floridian grotesquerie, but this isn't really a genre novel even if it has some crimes. Death, decline, ennui, and heartbreak rule the day here, along with a mystical doublespeak associated mainly with the character of Willie but it's also embedded deep in the prose. Where many books would have exposition, this has mystery mixed with a very real pain, rooted in degradation and deep depression, even if the last half does come to a real climax.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Abandonment and Violence
chloelees's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
3.75
michquig's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
5.0
coffeewithbritt's review against another edition
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hichristina's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
shawnwhy's review against another edition
5.0
oh my god I love this book so much. This is about wishes and dreams right?