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lanternsjourney's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
tiffanymae2022's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
foraging_pages's review
5.0
wow is the word that escaped my mouth when I closed this book.
I had never heard the name Artemisia Gentileschi before now. She was a talented painter in the early 1600s Rome when her father pretended her talent was his own and invited her rapist into her studio.
This book is told in verse and beautifully so. It calls on the stories of Susanna and Judith (present in some versions of the Bible) to shape Artemisia’s story and give her strength. I recommend looking up Artemisia’s paintings of these icons.
TW: sexual assault, torture
I had never heard the name Artemisia Gentileschi before now. She was a talented painter in the early 1600s Rome when her father pretended her talent was his own and invited her rapist into her studio.
This book is told in verse and beautifully so. It calls on the stories of Susanna and Judith (present in some versions of the Bible) to shape Artemisia’s story and give her strength. I recommend looking up Artemisia’s paintings of these icons.
TW: sexual assault, torture
jessiesmette's review
dark
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
leatheauthor's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
bookswithmaddi's review
5.0
I wish more people would read this book. It's so important, so powerful. I am haunted by this story and the way it was presented. I've never read a book quite like this one. When I got it I was so excited to read it, but I waited because I was worried I'd over-hyped it for myself and I would be let down because I had unrealistically high expectations. However, I was NOT let down at all. This book is a masterpiece.
A part of me wishes I could give this book one star and say its unrealistic and inaccurate, but it's not. There are things in this book that echo so closely the injustices done to women in this day and age that I felt nauseous.
This book changed me in a way that I can never go back from and I am so glad it did. This story is powerful in every way imaginable.
Edit (11/24/19): my opinion on this book has not changed, it is still one of my all time favorite books. However, I keep seeing negative reviews saying it was “too feminist”, portrayed men in a bad light, and talked about the evils of men more than the actual strength of women. So I’m going to defend this book because I can’t stand these reviews. This book centers around rape, that action is evil and was done by a man. What do you expect? That is not something that should ever be glossed over or left blameless. When someone is raped it consumes their life and often time men consume their life. It’s not easy to trust a man after that. I thought this book excellently portrayed the trauma and repercussions of an event like this occurring. It also spent a large amount of time of female role models and gaining strength from them so I’d have to disagree that it focused on “man-hating”. This book is so underrated and entirely empowering, everyone is entitled their opinion and to dislike a book, but I feel defensive over their claims of how certain thoughts and actions were portrayed in this book, they almost seem to invalidate the experience of rape and the trauma associated with it. This book isn’t “man-hating” it’s describing the violence visited upon women, and the results of rape.
A part of me wishes I could give this book one star and say its unrealistic and inaccurate, but it's not. There are things in this book that echo so closely the injustices done to women in this day and age that I felt nauseous.
This book changed me in a way that I can never go back from and I am so glad it did. This story is powerful in every way imaginable.
Edit (11/24/19): my opinion on this book has not changed, it is still one of my all time favorite books. However, I keep seeing negative reviews saying it was “too feminist”, portrayed men in a bad light, and talked about the evils of men more than the actual strength of women. So I’m going to defend this book because I can’t stand these reviews. This book centers around rape, that action is evil and was done by a man. What do you expect? That is not something that should ever be glossed over or left blameless. When someone is raped it consumes their life and often time men consume their life. It’s not easy to trust a man after that. I thought this book excellently portrayed the trauma and repercussions of an event like this occurring. It also spent a large amount of time of female role models and gaining strength from them so I’d have to disagree that it focused on “man-hating”. This book is so underrated and entirely empowering, everyone is entitled their opinion and to dislike a book, but I feel defensive over their claims of how certain thoughts and actions were portrayed in this book, they almost seem to invalidate the experience of rape and the trauma associated with it. This book isn’t “man-hating” it’s describing the violence visited upon women, and the results of rape.
dtnorby's review
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Rape
Minor: Suicide
alannar2422's review
5.0
The story of Artemisia Gentileschi was absolutely heartbreaking and so raw. She went through so much to reveal her truth and for everyone , including herself, to realize something had been taken from her that was hers to give. It was eye-opening and inspiring how the stories of Susanna, Judith and Artemisia were intertwined, and the women began to help each other as they went through their own horrors. This book revealed the injustices of being a woman, of being seen as less and the struggle many women before us for generations have endured. This novel was hard to read but I am glad to have learned of Artemisias story and see many things from a different perspective.