Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

All This Could Be Different by Sarah Thankam Mathews

69 reviews

starbeans's review against another edition

cw: child abuse, sexual abuse, heavy drug use, alcoholism, transphobia

I… can't really rate this. 
Sneha is a first-generation Indian American woman whose parents have gone back to India, leaving her alone in a foreign country at just 17 years of age. Sneha massively struggles — with her existence as an immigrant, with her queerness, and, honestly, with her gender.

I liked how it handled a lot of its very complex themes. There's a huge amount of friendship, of warmth, of how differently topics surrounding mental illness are still handled throughout the world. Of how differently trauma can resurface in different people, or in the same person at different times. The communist themes spoke to me, but what unfortunately did not, was the transphobia. It got better the longer the book went on, but there was definitely some unresolved gender-questioning going on in Sneha that felt like it was just brushed aside, at least for me.

Still, after having my doubts about this for the first third, I'd recommend reading this!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Transphobia, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

sammyofthevalley's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This wasn’t my type of book - I don’t usually read sad endings or books which are completely focused on angst. However, I also feel justified in disliking it, as the main character never develops. My FAVORITE part of books is character development, but the only upward motion we see in S is because of a time skip when the development has happened without the reader. I would have liked a lot more payoff for suffering through her situation. But that’s how life is

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Racism, Terminal illness, Deportation, Classism, Addiction, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Drug use, Xenophobia, and Transphobia

souplover2001's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

important read for girls whose favourite genre is "girl loves her friends so so much and they love her too despite, or rather bcos of, all of her shortcomings"

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

marisamoo's review

emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

Just so unbelievable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Racism

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent

kathleencoughlin's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Deportation, Outing, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Minor: Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Misogyny, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, and Body shaming

alanakuni's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

kathleen_theresa's review

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

From my perspective characters can and should be flawed and complex but the main character seemed abusive and the author seemed to be trying very hard to get the reader to still “like” and/or root for her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Sexual assault, Racism, and Child abuse

There were instances of what felt to me like penis envy that seems unnecessary.

mcsenne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

meemawreads's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book didn't stick with me as a whole. In the month since I read it, I've forgotten the end. I still remember the MC's transphobia that mysteriously resolves with no explanation? I remember how obsessed she is with thin, white women, too. Internalized white supremacy was strong.

Hilariously, I also remember starting to root for her to kiss Tom because I am rooting for him...

a lesbian book emphasizing my straightness how embarrassing. Anyway, I wouldn't recommend this if you hate dysfunctional relationships and remembering the chaos of your early post-college days. I would recommend this to someone who likes flawed protagonists and appreciates the complications of immigrant family stories. Three taters 🥔🥔🥔/🥔🥔🥔🥔🥔

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Racism, and Child abuse

Minor: Transphobia and Fatphobia

cjamison0151's review

emotional inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse

Minor: Police brutality