Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Girls before Earls - Alte Geheimnisse und neue Skandale: Roman by Lex Croucher

27 reviews

jencolumb0's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

Frankly, I was hoping for more of a romp. It’s a well-written, modernized Regacy romance but it is not what I would call “escapist”. I am interested to see what this author does next, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Abandonment and Death of parent

Someone’s drink is drugged without their knowledge at a party

kyeruhh's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

This was not at all what I was expecting but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Racism

allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Inspired by Mean Girls, this regency story has all the casual cruelty and grappling for social currency that one would expect. The references are complete with a chapter that begins, "Get in, Georgiana. We're going shopping." Frances Campbell is our Queen Bee, and protagonist Georgiana is eager to become her latest sycophant, wanting an injection of reckless fun into her boring summer. The book showcases characters with a complete disregard for social norms whereas most regency romps only manage tepid or pointed departures from what is socially acceptable. Envision illicit drugs of all types, nude frolicking, and a complete lack of chaperones. The story takes a look at how a certain level of class and money excuses all else. The constraints on the behavior of middle and lower-class persons are mere suggestions for the elite, easy to ignore when the consequences are so ephemeral. This is another way it sets itself apart from historical fiction that emphasizes social pressures on aristocrats.

The story has a quick, biting wit akin to Georgiana's own subversive, barbed remarks. Several funny asides made me laugh aloud. Also, letter banter is the BEST banter, and this one delivers in that category 100%. I was unconvinced of the central romance plot til the correspondence started up halfway through, and then I suddenly found myself on board. It was that high quality.

While reading, my stress level was high, even though I knew all the bad decisions and situations were building up to a lesson to be learned. It comes at a steep price for many characters involved. The emphasis on needing to be cool or seem above everyone else made me cringe, with side helpings of peer pressure and harassment, bullying and exclusionary tactics. Add in quick judgments and nasty put-downs to make oneself feel superior. It offers a deep view of the root causes of the characters' behaviors. For example, our protagonist Georgiana is spinning out in bitter rebellion after being abandoned by cold, distant parents. She seeks affection and belonging at any cost.

There are several content warnings of note for this story: sexual assault on-page and other incidents that occur off-page with physical and psychological harm explored, gaslighting and victim-blaming following claims of assault, racism and slavery, homophobia/lesbophobia, domestic abuse, toxic relationships, a lot of alcohol and other substance abuse, and parental neglect. The author takes a worthy stand on the proper response to assault claims and offers a glimpse into a diverse regency world hampered by prejudice but not whitewashed or offering queer characters as mere sidekicks. It's an interesting book that manages to be difficult to read at some points, uproariously funny at others, sometimes reflective and other times barreling forward. It was a compelling read, and I am curious to see what the author does next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Classism, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Colonisation, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, and Animal cruelty

theinkedpath's review against another edition

dark funny slow-paced

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

1.0

ES:

Me hubiera gustado que me encantase, pero no ha sido así.

EN:

I feel very disappointed. I was struggling to finish it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, and Toxic friendship

jkpiowa's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Bullying

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

katygurll's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

jacq_benoit's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual violence, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abandonment, Rape, and Domestic abuse

tc_booksandmore's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Drug use

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Rape, and Cursing

Minor: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Racism

midge_x's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Sexism, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Death

kirbylover16's review against another edition

After three hours in and a couple of times trying...
I couldn't connect to the main character Georgiana. She was annoying, superficial, and blah. She's the cliche bookworm who dreams of excitement and, I'm not like other girls. After having one night of fun, she decides that she won't try to befriend anyone else. It's Frances or nothing. Of course, Frances is a hot mess. Where is the romance or Bridgerton meets Gossip Girl part? I'm totally getting the Mean girls vibes but not the others. All we know about the love interest(or who I believe is) is he is not interested in Georgiana and likes to brush his horse. Dreamy. All of the characters are unnecessity mean or clueless. The narrator is great though the story, romance, characters are not there. 2/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Alcohol, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Racism

It's not clear if the pregnancy was miscarried or not it's really establishing this guy is a bad dude and doesn't love the girls he's with. A lot of bad parents in this book. One rich white dude marries a middle-class black woman and when the marriage is falling apart he blames her for not being a high lady. There's tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs at every party.