Scan barcode
robinks'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: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
leafilys'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
4.5
Bitter is an amazingly well rounded and relatable character and her development was so engaging to read about. Her relationships with her friends, boyfriend, and mentors are so wholesome but still realistic. Each side character has a distinct personality and voice, none of them are shallow or simply used as plot devices.
Reading about Assata was both a beautiful lesson in hope and community, and a brutal examination of the violence that protestors face. I like that this book is somewhat empathetic towards those that turn to violence because of the violence inflicted on them, but still drives home the message that love for your comrades will always be more important than hatred for your enemies.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
dazzle_spider_reader_1212's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Ableism, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury
audaudaud's review
- 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: Drug use, Violence, and Police brutality
eni_iilorak'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? No
4.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug use, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment
stefhyena's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The romance had its problematic aspects like instalove will. The love interest was too good to be true initially and tended to love-bomb which in real life would be a red flag but he was likeable nevertheless. Later in the book he acted like an immature jerk and this was smoothed over a bit too easily I thought. In books people go from really deep conflicts to forever love all too easily and I don't think this is a healthy thing to teach youth...but there was a lot else going on.
There was acceptance for physical and mental disability, meltdowns/anxiety. It was clearly shown that where parents are not available you can have an intergenerational community of care (I found that very beautifully portrayed and the fact it was matriarchal didn't bother me too much). There is moral complexity in that just killing the bad guys is not the answer, but wanting to is portrayed as understandable. Art is rightly shown as significant but what I thought was more problematic was the easy conclusion that not being in the frontline because you are an artist is as good as giving your life or body to the struggle. I don't disagree with aspects of how this played out but I think noone actually wants to be in the trenches doing the hard yards they tend to (in real life) feel lonely and unsupported and the portrayal in the book was idealised to the point where people will feel affirmed in doing nothing.
I wondered if some issues were glossed over or simplified because of the perception that teens won't read it if you add more depth (or if it was a wordcount issue). A few other minor issues too but overall nothing detracted from the fact I was enjoying this book all the way through and keen to know what happened next. An interesting and worthwhile book.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Drug use
Despite the content warnings, and not to make light of them it was a positive and hope-filled bookdisplacedcactus's review
- 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
Bitter shows us the start of how Lucille got rid of its monsters. Pet shows us a Lucille that believes the monsters are gone. But what I really want is the story of how Lucille appears to operate as an autonomous city. What is going on in the rest of the world? Has this revolution rippled out into the rest of the country or the world? Is the rest of the world watching Lucille as a sort of case study?
Just like Pet, Bitter ends up being a story about justice, vengeance, crime, and punishment, about what monsters deserve and the fine line that we have to walk to protect the vulnerable among us while also trying to minimize the stains on our own conscience. But just like Pet, I felt like Bitter could have spent a bit more time sitting with these ideas rather than rushing the resolution.
I feel like you can probably read these two books in whichever order you want -- they each spoil certain elements of the other.
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, and Violence
Minor: Blood
The drug use in question is marijuana being smoked by 17ish year old characters. It's not really specified whether or not weed is legal in Lucille, but one would presume it still wouldn't be for minors.julesadventurezone'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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Body horror, Child death, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
cookiecat73'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Mental illness, and Classism
Minor: Drug use and Rape
sadiefc's review
3.0
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Police brutality, Abandonment, and War