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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I don't enjoy crying for fun. But for this book, I would do it all over again. I'm still in complete and utter shock by the ending and I don't want to believe it. I had to take breaks from this book (even though I read it in a little over a day) because there would just be some moments where I was done.
But unfortunately, like Anna Craft and the countless others in reality, they don't get to close the book and turn away from the pain and hurt they're feeling because of sexual assault and the lighthearted tone the topic has in society anymore.
This book is so important, and I think anyone with a pulse and even just a sliver of humanity needs to read it.
But unfortunately, like Anna Craft and the countless others in reality, they don't get to close the book and turn away from the pain and hurt they're feeling because of sexual assault and the lighthearted tone the topic has in society anymore.
This book is so important, and I think anyone with a pulse and even just a sliver of humanity needs to read it.
✨ You can find my full review here! ✨
You know those books—the ones you finish, and afterwards you come out of the experience feeling like you are a different person, and you can’t quite remember who exactly you were before? “Some books you read. Some books you enjoy. But some books just swallow you up, heart and soul,” Joanne Harris once said.
[b:The Female of the Species|25812109|The Female of the Species|Mindy McGinnis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1455917180l/25812109._SY75_.jpg|45668311] is that book.
The kind of book that leaves you lying in bed at night, staring at the ceiling blankly, while contemplating your existence and everything else you ever thought you knew.
“Oh, another book that talks about rape”, some people will inevitably think, and scoff, rolling their eyes, their thoughts probably ending somewhere along the lines of “haven’t we had enough of those already?”
Spoiler
The answer is no.But even so, The Female of the Species would not simply be “just another book that talks about rape”; it does examine rape culture, yes, but it also explores friendships, and loyalty, it talks about morals, courage, love, and it shines a light on feminism, and so many other issues that contemporaries should shine a light on, but unfortunately rarely do. And it does so flawlessly, and boldly.
“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”
Do not let yourself be fooled by the tame, almost cute cover—cute is the least likely adjective I would use to describe the contents; this book is dark, and gritty, and full of angst. But it is also honest, hopeful, and filled with love, and compassion.
I have read my fair share of books dealing with rape, a few of which I already deemed immensely well-written, but this one … I feel like it carved out a hole in my chest, and left behind an emptiness that I don’t know how to fill, and I don’t know if I will ever stop hurting from it.
I feel like it was kind of slow towards the middle but the ending blew me away.
This is going to be such a hard book to review. To put it simply; this book was so real and raw and I want everyone to read it. It’s not an easy book to read but it touches on so many important topics.
Alex. I loved her. I felt for her. She was the type of character that made you question your own outlook on right and wrong. She decided to do what the police didn’t do, and that was punish her sister’s killer.
”I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed.”
Alex’s actions really put things into perspective. Do you think she was wrong? It’s hard to answer. Of course, the bottom line is yes. However, we have to look at it from her eyes. The law wasn’t on her sister’s side. She needed and wanted vengeance for what happened to her sister.
This book is like a letter to rape culture. It shows just how much we have really let things pass over us without even realizing what we are doing. So much of the way we speak and allow others to speak so candidly about sexual assault really shocked me.
“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”
This is told in the POV of Alex, PeeKay aka Claire, and Jack. I enjoyed Claire’s character and the way she opened up Alex up to life. She became such a good friend to her and I loved seeing such a good female friendship on page.
Now Jack, I think differently. Was I supposed to like him? The one good thing that I can say about him is that I loved the way he still accepted Alex when he found everything that she had done. After that? I have nothing good to say. He thought with his dick and was in so many predicaments with girls that he shouldn’t have been in since he had a girlfriend.
Besides Jack, my other issue with the book was the way it ended. I can understand it, but I need a bit more closure and wish it could have gone a different way.
Overall, while this isn’t an easy book to digest, I recommend it! This pulled forth so many emotions from me and really made me think.
TW: sexual assault; rape; pedophilia; attempted rape; violence: animal abuse
Alex. I loved her. I felt for her. She was the type of character that made you question your own outlook on right and wrong. She decided to do what the police didn’t do, and that was punish her sister’s killer.
”I am a wolf that my sister kept in a cage, until her hand was removed.”
Alex’s actions really put things into perspective. Do you think she was wrong? It’s hard to answer. Of course, the bottom line is yes. However, we have to look at it from her eyes. The law wasn’t on her sister’s side. She needed and wanted vengeance for what happened to her sister.
This book is like a letter to rape culture. It shows just how much we have really let things pass over us without even realizing what we are doing. So much of the way we speak and allow others to speak so candidly about sexual assault really shocked me.
“But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll.”
This is told in the POV of Alex, PeeKay aka Claire, and Jack. I enjoyed Claire’s character and the way she opened up Alex up to life. She became such a good friend to her and I loved seeing such a good female friendship on page.
Now Jack, I think differently. Was I supposed to like him? The one good thing that I can say about him is that I loved the way he still accepted Alex when he found everything that she had done. After that? I have nothing good to say. He thought with his dick and was in so many predicaments with girls that he shouldn’t have been in since he had a girlfriend.
Besides Jack, my other issue with the book was the way it ended. I can understand it, but I need a bit more closure and wish it could have gone a different way.
Overall, while this isn’t an easy book to digest, I recommend it! This pulled forth so many emotions from me and really made me think.
TW: sexual assault; rape; pedophilia; attempted rape; violence: animal abuse
I originally rated this 4 stars... but the story stuck with me so much I had to up it to 5. This story is dark and raw and unapologetic. I loved it. Triggers for: rape, violence, animal abuse.
I’m convinced I need to stop reading books set in high-school.
There were some parts of this book that were really really good. I loved the moments at the animal shelter and the commentary they lent to the greater plot. I loved the scenes with Alex and her mom, where we really dive into both of their psychology. I liked when the book talked about Anna, about the culture of the town as the recession hit. All these ideas were really interesting, and I wish they would have been explored further. I also really enjoyed the friendship between PK/Claire and Alex.
But then there was Jack. He had some potential/strong points (such as the job he worked after school, I thought that was really interesting in how it related to the animal shelter in theme, how he was basically doing the opposite of Claire/PK and Alex) but god I couldn’t bring myself to like him or believe the romance between him and Alex. Why was that night in the woods never addressed? Why the hell would he go back to her after he found out she was a murderer? And after he does, he’s about to cheat on her with Branlee (I’m not sure if this is how you spell her name, I was listening on audiobook).
The ending was good. It was better than Alex walking away with zero ramifications, which would have felt completely unrealistic. I liked the scene with her grave when people leave things behind, and the graffiti on the bathroom walls was an example when I think the high-school setting really worked to benefit the plot.
There’s some good commentary on rape culture in this book, but it’s drowned out by teenage drama and the conventions and tropes of high-school. I left wishing for more, and feeling slightly disappointed.
There were some parts of this book that were really really good. I loved the moments at the animal shelter and the commentary they lent to the greater plot. I loved the scenes with Alex and her mom, where we really dive into both of their psychology. I liked when the book talked about Anna, about the culture of the town as the recession hit. All these ideas were really interesting, and I wish they would have been explored further. I also really enjoyed the friendship between PK/Claire and Alex.
But then there was Jack. He had some potential/strong points (such as the job he worked after school, I thought that was really interesting in how it related to the animal shelter in theme, how he was basically doing the opposite of Claire/PK and Alex) but god I couldn’t bring myself to like him or believe the romance between him and Alex. Why was that night in the woods never addressed? Why the hell would he go back to her after he found out she was a murderer? And after he does, he’s about to cheat on her with Branlee (I’m not sure if this is how you spell her name, I was listening on audiobook).
The ending was good. It was better than Alex walking away with zero ramifications, which would have felt completely unrealistic. I liked the scene with her grave when people leave things behind, and the graffiti on the bathroom walls was an example when I think the high-school setting really worked to benefit the plot.
There’s some good commentary on rape culture in this book, but it’s drowned out by teenage drama and the conventions and tropes of high-school. I left wishing for more, and feeling slightly disappointed.
Sharp, dark, and gripping — a fantastic exploration of rape culture.
I'll be honest that it took me a little while to get into the story because I was having trouble keeping the characters straight, but once I figured it out, I was sold.
I wish I had a friend like Alex growing up. Well honestly, I wish every girl had a friend like Alex — someone who will protect you, call out men for being inappropriate, and hurt those who hurt you (ok maybe less of this last one because violence is not really ok).
If you liked this, I would also recommend an adult novel, [b:Young Jane Young|33590214|Young Jane Young|Gabrielle Zevin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490731852s/33590214.jpg|54403196] by Gabrielle Zevin, which delivers a brilliant take on slut-shaming.
I'll be honest that it took me a little while to get into the story because I was having trouble keeping the characters straight, but once I figured it out, I was sold.
I wish I had a friend like Alex growing up. Well honestly, I wish every girl had a friend like Alex — someone who will protect you, call out men for being inappropriate, and hurt those who hurt you (ok maybe less of this last one because violence is not really ok).
If you liked this, I would also recommend an adult novel, [b:Young Jane Young|33590214|Young Jane Young|Gabrielle Zevin|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490731852s/33590214.jpg|54403196] by Gabrielle Zevin, which delivers a brilliant take on slut-shaming.
Audio version. This book was a lot. It was especially challenging for me to read as a mother. There is something particularly terrifying about some Young Adult novels as a mother. I just envision my daughter as a teenager and the challenges she will face and it scares me. This book was especially terrifying. Rape culture is real and it’s devastating. I didn’t love the book. It was intense and quite serious, but I didn’t really love the characters or feel a lot of depth. But that’s my opinion.
I have no words for this book and how deeply it shook me.
I don't remember the last time I cried so much in a book.
I don't remember the last time I cried so much in a book.