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maddielza's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide
rororow's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicide and Kidnapping
syddey_syd's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As a lover of the city, I found it difficult to reconcile the Montreal portrayed in the book with the Montreal I know and love. The amount of times the characters would say they were cold, only for me to scream to myself, “Then buy a warmer coat!!” were too many to count.
Mandel is great at creating atmosphere, but this was a depressing, gloomy, liminal-space-like atmosphere that I hated immersing myself in. I found each of the main characters insufferable for different reasons. Upon finishing the book, I found myself wondering what the POINT of all that was. Perhaps someone smarter or more poetic than me will understand, but I honestly felt like I’d spent a few hours wading through mud.
Lastly, how Mandel portrayed the French-English divide in Montreal bothered me. Perhaps it was a different story a decade or two ago, but I’ve never met someone who insulted an American for not being able to speak French. I think the vibe of the language divide was verging on correct, but Mandel wrote about it in such an exaggerated way that it really put me off.
I rate it 2.5 stars for having some beautiful prose and interesting enough characters, even if they did make me want to shake them.
Moderate: Suicide
bookmaddie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Kidnapping and Suicide
Minor: Child abuse
marcrosenblum's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Suicide and Child abuse
carlytenille'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Car accident, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Medical trauma, and Stalking
odwyer_jackie's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Minor: Suicide and Physical abuse
kathleen_theresa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
kayleigh214's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Suicide, and Physical abuse
pollyflorence's review
4.0
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Car accident, and Suicide