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saoreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
To begin, there were numerous scenes in the story that were difficult to understand in terms of family dynamics. The character learned what family is supposed to be like through self-preservation and keeping each other's space and boundaries private, which created a certain mindset on how to perceive things in processing grief and loneliness, understanding love and pushing it away. The novel followed certain days for the book period to end for a short time. It made you consider your interpersonal relationships. We never really thought better as children—typical of us—still there's so much more to know than just our own little world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death, Terminal illness, and Suicide
alisonfaith426's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism
mellowreading's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.75
WHEW. I almost want to rate this a 5 star, because I feel like if I had read it at a better time, I would have loved it even more. this book captures the feeling of isolation and loneliness so acutely, especially in its descriptions of setting, that some of that feeling bled into me too. This book feels like shades of blue. I teared up a couple times. It felt very real and very cinematic at the same time. I was also really shocked at how things unfolded, I felt betrayed right alongside Marin. Lacour’s writing is also so lovely, there’s not a word wasted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Abandonment
winterdevil's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Doesn't really a plot, but it was short (230 pages) so I read in two evenings. A lot of things were left dangling or undefined, the prose wasn't anything special, the characters were rather limited, but it ends on a hopeful note, and I can't really blame a depressed narrator for being monotonous.
I saw a review that said this book is very much a "character-driven" book as opposed to plot-driven, and to that, I have to disagree. Plot-driven books are books with an external plot that pushes characters into doing something (such as a zombie apocalypse forcing people to survive), and character-driven books are characters making choices that inspire the plot.
This book is neither. The character drives nothing.
This book is neither. The character drives nothing.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but if you go into this expecting an active protagonist with agency... she's literally depressed, barely showers, and avoids her friend and conversation for most of it. Only at about 75% do we see any meaningful action on her part, though the story kinda undercuts why it took her so long to get there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death, Abandonment, Cancer, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Mental illness
shfts_away's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death
zaraha's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Mental illness, and Abandonment
Moderate: Cancer
maiahhtratchh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
4.5
This story is a reflection of grief and the impacts of our actions, or non actions, on the ones around us. It is gut wrenching as it explores Marin’s life both before and after she left San Francisco to New York. The symbolism of the shells and ocean are mixed with the solid of snow and New York (a bustling city which, at its core, can be quite hollow). The relationship between Marin and Mabel left an ache in my chest and, although it appears that they will move forward together in a different capacity, it still broke my heart, the last chapter of the book. The ending was so beautiful, I kept repeating to myself that something good better happen because it’s just so heartbreakingly awful what Marin went through and, although it wasn’t the fairytale happily ever after it was a realistic portrayal of familial love. I will have to reread this in the future
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment and Suicide
Minor: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Emotional neglect is a strong theme in this bookalice_lackoflife's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I geniuently can't decide if i hate this or love it. Part of me hates this so much but only because of how much it made me feel. Part of me loves it because of well everything
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
Minor: Abandonment
sarahcothron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Mental illness
ghostlyprince's review
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Abandonment and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Suicide