Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

I'm the Girl by Courtney Summers

7 reviews

hufflehobbit's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Trafficking, Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Cancer, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, Alcohol, Grief, Death of parent, Incest, and Rape

Minor: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Challenging themes and uncomfortable at moments, but well worth the read in my opinion

onbeasbookshelf's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

it’s clear what the author was trying to do, and she even says it in the preface: write a book about terrible teenage girls. but the author mistakes what type of terrible teenage girls people want to read about. 

this book’s main character is classic archetype of a pick-me girl, chalk full of internalized misogyny and an absolutely astounding lack of self awareness or self preservation. her main goal in her short, 16 year old life is to work for this mysterious, glamorous company but the author really fails to convince the reader why this is. this is a 16 year old girl written by someone who has clearly forgotten what it’s like to be 16. 

the murder-mystery is more of a subplot that takes the back seat to the MCs long monologues about her beauty (or lack there of). all of the conflict is shallow and the twists can be seen coming literally from the first few chapters of the book. 

finally, this should not be marketed to young readers. the themes and plot, even if they had been done well, are really really dark. they are important and i think should be written about more but the author did not do them the sort of care or depth they deserve. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

grimdark_dad's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Murder, Grief, Alcohol, Death, Sexual assault, Classism, Rape, Sexism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

aghoststory's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

There is one thing guaranteed from a Courtney Summers novel - it’s going to hurt.

I’M THE GIRL is no different. I actually had to take a few days before writing this review because I had a lot to think on. Honestly, I am not sure I have probably landed on what those thoughts are yet. Summers is never one to shy away from dark and difficult topics, and I love that about her work. In this latest release I knew it would be even more dark considering it is inspired by the exploitation and dangerous society young women live in (I believe this was inspired by the Jeffery Epstein case?) However, I am not sure I was prepared for just what awaited my reading experience.
 Following teen Georgia as she steps into the world of Aspera and faces the darkness that lies there is hard. As a reader, I struggled to understand her actions - her dependence on needing to be see as beautiful and perfect and worthy at her own cost. And it was hard to watch her be let down by those who were supposed to protect her over and over.. My mind kept going back to an earlier review I saw that stated something along the lines of Georgia just being a girl. She was still so young. I just wished her all the peace that girls deserve to grow up with.  

With themes of bodily autonomy and violence and the dangers of victim blaming I’M THE GIRL  is a brutal, raw, and unflinching dive into the patriarchal society we live in


Note: Please be mindful of your personal triggers with this book. I know it is categorized as YA but it has some graphic sexual violence for the genre. It has  A LOT of heavy content. 


*ARC was given by Wednesday Press for review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Pedophilia

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

This book honestly creeped me out and not in a good thriller way.

Telling a girl she has the power to stop a man from raping her is just disgusting. I obviously don't know if the author explains that this female character's view is WRONG later, but that's what got me to just stop with this book

  What I read of it just left me feeling gross. 

I loved Sadie! But this book was just terrible. The MC was highly unlikeable. I think you were supposed to feel sorry for her, but honestly, I didn't really. She just seemed like an entitled poor person. who thought she deserved better because she was attractive, WTF.  As someone without a lot of money, I'd never assume, "well, if I were more attractive... I'd be rich!". Just because you're attractive does not translate into an entitlement to be rich. NO ONE has the entitlement to have money. Some people are lucky enough to be born with money or have an easy or harder path to wealth, but most people will still be around where they were born. 

I did like Nora and Tyler. But they couldn't make up for Georgia. 

Also, Georgia's entitlement overruled any thought of the "thriller" element, which was mostly ignored for Georgia's attempts at social climbing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Classism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexism

Moderate: Drug use, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Vomit

blueeyedshook's review

Maybe the timing of my reading this book just wasn’t it. Maybe I’m not the biggest fan of Summers storytelling style (though her writing is beautiful). 
But what I do know is that this is not a book I would recommend a teen. And the point of the book is to get an important message across to teens. But instead of teaching a valuable lesson and imparting a message, because of Georgia’s naïveté I feel like the message is more harmful. 
It is also just a painful, disturbing book to read. Like make me physically ill. And I can only count a handful of books that have done that to me.
I just think it’s a bit too gritty and graphic for YA.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Cursing, and Physical abuse

bookcrushin's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.5

This book fucked me up. Not sure that’s a good or bad thing? All the content warnings. Be informed. Wonderfully crafted and written but this dark, suspenseful story isn’t for everyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Classism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Car accident, and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Blood, Suicide, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, and Terminal illness