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leahkarge's review against another edition
- 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
1.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
seekerxr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
From the very first page, the writing style of this book is just incredibly gripping. There is no easing you into this book's particular flavor of suspense and horror and revulsion; you're in the deep end from day one. You know exactly where this book is going, exactly how it's going to end, and all you can do is just watch uneasily as the bitter end grows closer and closer. The writing in this book is truly like nothing I've ever seen: first person from Joe's point of view yet also second person, as if his entire narration of the book is a story he is telling TO Beck. It's chilling and vicious and so incredibly unsettling you just can't look away.
Joe really is the worst sort of criminal and internal monologue tells you that clear as day. The worst part is he doesn't think he's bad, which is probably par for the course when it comes to people like him, but it still makes you a bit incredulous to read how he justifies the absolutely insane things he thinks about and does. The way he claims that Beck is the love of his life but half the time literally all he thinks and cares about is her body and when he'll next get to sleep with her.
That being said, I did have some problems with this book. It definitely shows its age at being early to mid-2010s literature with just a smattering of bigotry. I don't if the author put that in deliberately to show it was how Joe thought or if it was just a product of the attitudes at the time it was written. For me it was just on the border of too much sometimes, but never bad enough to stop reading the entire book.
I would say definitely do a bit more in-depth research on the trigger warnings before deciding to pick them up because the tags on Storygraph missed some important ones, but otherwise this book was pretty great. I won't be continuing the series, because having someone like Joe Goldberg as the main character and being in his head is a LOT, but I did enjoy this book!
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia
booknerdcoco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Fatphobia
victaphone's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
lord_morpheus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
mblanke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Stalking, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia and Misogyny