Scan barcode
opalchainsaw's review against another edition
2.0
at first i thought maybe i would have liked this more if i read it a few years ago when i was a one direction stan....... but nah
i know there are some interesting/weird stories about stans irl but this all just seemed so over the top and not in a good way
there was so much fat shaming like lmao. apple knocks rp unconscious because of her weight, brings a giant suitcase filled with only popcorn (??? what the hell honestly), etc, her weight is basically a joke throughout the whole thing. i feel like half of this book was just them describing how ugly rp was. we get it: teenage fangirls are crazy stalkers who only care about looks!!! duh!!!!!
not only did the girls kidnap rp, the way apple treated him was kind of horrible - licking his face, sitting on his lap and taking pics - like sure even tho he was a shitty person, this was just unnecessary and weird. and don't you just love how the only (secretly) gay member of the band is the one who gets murdered? i'm so tired. there was also tons of homophobia just regarding the fact that he was gay/in the closet. and i'm just disappointed because the writing made it seem like erin/isobel/"sloan" could be sapphic but nothing ever came of any of it? like almost every time sloan was describing erin she used the word beautiful but instead of having them fall in love they were fighting?? goodbye
i know there are some interesting/weird stories about stans irl but this all just seemed so over the top and not in a good way
there was so much fat shaming like lmao. apple knocks rp unconscious because of her weight, brings a giant suitcase filled with only popcorn (??? what the hell honestly), etc, her weight is basically a joke throughout the whole thing. i feel like half of this book was just them describing how ugly rp was. we get it: teenage fangirls are crazy stalkers who only care about looks!!! duh!!!!!
not only did the girls kidnap rp, the way apple treated him was kind of horrible - licking his face, sitting on his lap and taking pics - like sure even tho he was a shitty person, this was just unnecessary and weird. and don't you just love how the only (secretly) gay member of the band is the one who gets murdered? i'm so tired. there was also tons of homophobia just regarding the fact that he was gay/in the closet. and i'm just disappointed because the writing made it seem like erin/isobel/"sloan" could be sapphic but nothing ever came of any of it? like almost every time sloan was describing erin she used the word beautiful but instead of having them fall in love they were fighting?? goodbye
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
magicalghoul's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
First off: Mind the discussion of slut-shaming tw. I'm not putting it in spoiler tags because it's somehow central to the plot and could be highly upsetting. Please take care.
Now, about the book: Enjoyed the concept and the writing style but the rampant fatphobia and the smidge of racism really ruined it for me— just because it's satire or dark humor doesn't mean you get a free pass to punch down.
The outdated (even for 2016) teen slang sometimes took me out as well, but on a second thought I'm glad it went for a known evil (tumblr fandom slang) over a recent one (stolen aave in stan circles).
It was entertaining at least, even if I found myself wishing it had pushed for more at times. Solid three star book.
Now, about the book: Enjoyed the concept and the writing style but the rampant fatphobia and the smidge of racism really ruined it for me— just because it's satire or dark humor doesn't mean you get a free pass to punch down.
The outdated (even for 2016) teen slang sometimes took me out as well, but on a second thought I'm glad it went for a known evil (tumblr fandom slang) over a recent one (stolen aave in stan circles).
It was entertaining at least, even if I found myself wishing it had pushed for more at times. Solid three star book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
A character tells another about a situation where she was humiliated and slut shamed.
More...