Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

150 reviews

dumbcumpster's review

dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

this book reminded me a lot of my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh. it was a quick read, but a tough one; I genuinely sobbed throughout a lot of this book, but it also made me laugh. the narrator's internal monologue reminds me a lot of my own, and it was both eerie and comforting to see it reflected elsewhere. I tore through this book in just over a day. 

it was almost ergodic in how the author uses black holes and black pages and "e.g.:" and definitions throughout to mirror the content of the book. the black hole metaphor was a little heavy-handed for my taste, but the pomegranate metaphor really struck me. it's very heavy on internal monologue, childhood memories, and the narrator's internal thoughts feelings etc. 

I've seen multiple reviews mention how Cassie, the main character, sucks or is a bad person or whatever, which I think is strange. I think the whole point is to draw attention to how capitalism ruins people's lives and turns them into something they never wanted to be, out of sheer economic necessity. Cassie is vain, competitive, cowardly, irresponsible, pathetic, an addict, lacks self control, the whole shebang, but so are we all. Cassie being directly impacted by being mistreated at her job, abused by her mother, half-heartedly committed to by her kind-of boyfriend, extorted by her landlord, put at risk by the virus, etc, all makes her want to shrivel up and hide and die. I think that's all of us. Cassie is all of us. that's what makes her so uncomfortable to understand and to see her inner machinations laid bare.

I think you'll either get this book or you won't, and you'll know pretty quickly which camp you fall into. if you have any experience with depression or poverty, you'll probably get it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Child abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Suicide, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, and Vomit

novelspirits's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Drug use

madelinemartin's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

For anyone dealing with changing jobs and burnout, this book is almost too relatable. 

The book juxtaposes the situation Cassie finds herself in and the surrealistic depiction of her mental health issues in sharp contrast to one another, providing a sinister air to the shady corporate dealings she is forced to do, and an edge of realism to her very asbtract mental health issues. The tone shifts as her issues worsen, and while there isn't a whole lot of plot, her spiral seems scarily, worryingly relatable.

While the way her thoughts and actions escalate at the end of the novel implies she is going to end her life, it could also be interpreted as choosing to embrace the black hole as a pathway to starting over, changing her reality — a new job, new city, or ending her complicated situationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Classism, Abortion, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Misogyny, Addiction, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sarahrosebooknook's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Addiction, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abortion, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

aprillem's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

I enjoyed this book in the beginning; it was well written and I liked the overall tone. But the main character had absolutely no growth, no interests, no perspective beyond her misery. I relate to the congitive dissonance of having to go through the motions of life while witnessing endless daily tragedies, but there was no reflection beyond that. All we get from the main character is the sense that life is bleak and we have no control over any of it so what’s the point. 

None of the characters in the book were likeable, they literally all suck. The writing was good but it got a bit tedious and the black hole metaphor was very heavy handed. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Drug abuse, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicide

murderousscottishgremlin's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• 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? No

3.5

I didn’t enjoy reading this book because it was so emotionally heavy, but Etter’s writing is exquisite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abortion

theliterarylair's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This was such a beautiful  reading experience with a perfect, heartbreaking ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Suicide, and Misogyny

wild_rose_reads's review

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Abortion, Addiction, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gaslighting, Child abuse, Sexism, and Classism

Minor: Infertility and Sexual content

brennasjohnson's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

My god, will someone please check on this author? Incredibly written and unique story but I don't think there was a single event in that book that wasn't devastating. (I was low-key into it) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abortion

laura_et's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death