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challenging
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gaslighting
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I missed the play so I was excited to get a chance at hearing Jodie cormer in this story. I will say that I really enjoyed the book, but it was quite long and I think it could have definitely been shortened.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Classism
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault
Minor: Vomit
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This story, originally a play, but re-written as a novel, was a really well-written, deep-dive into a rape case involving two lawyers working in the same firm. Tessa Ensler, the protagonist and the victim of the rape, is a defence lawyer, and having often defended this type of case in the past, comes to understand the flaws in the system. Where before, she believed that the law upheld justice, now in a very different position, she sees how the law does not protect women in her position, how a one in three figure is unacceptable, and that in cases of sexual assault, the system isn’t fit for purpose.
The narration of this novel took a while for me to get used to; it is almost colloquial in tone and seemed a little casual for the subject matter, but after a while I liked it and found it quite a clever way to draw us in. We warm to a Tessa, as we would a friend, and as the story unfolds, we trust Tessa, we are rooting for her and hoping that justice will prevail. It also was a reminder of where Tessa came from, her authentic voice, which she never lost; her truth.
I loved the pacing of this novel. It is a slow burn and I think this worked really well. We get to know Tessa, her background and family and her day-to-day life of a defence lawyer and what such a career demands, the patriarchal bias ingrained in every inherited law and that still prevails in the rigours of law practice. And as hard as it is for a woman to forge her path in law, it is twice as hard for a working class woman. All around her, Tessa sees people, mostly men, who have a long lineage of practicing lawyers and barristers, family practices and trust funds. Tessa builds herself up from very different circumstances, and learns seeming simple things like dress and accent through close observation of her peers.
The novel has a clever Now and Then timeline, switching between past events and leading up to that awful night for Tessa, and the present trial, where she fights it in court. I found both sections equally riveting. The descriptions were so detailed and hard to read (trigger warning) but served to really draw you in. I found it so compelling and would love to see a staged version of it. It was quite an important read also on the issue of consent.
Overall a really great novel that I would highly recommend.
It
The narration of this novel took a while for me to get used to; it is almost colloquial in tone and seemed a little casual for the subject matter, but after a while I liked it and found it quite a clever way to draw us in. We warm to a Tessa, as we would a friend, and as the story unfolds, we trust Tessa, we are rooting for her and hoping that justice will prevail. It also was a reminder of where Tessa came from, her authentic voice, which she never lost; her truth.
I loved the pacing of this novel. It is a slow burn and I think this worked really well. We get to know Tessa, her background and family and her day-to-day life of a defence lawyer and what such a career demands, the patriarchal bias ingrained in every inherited law and that still prevails in the rigours of law practice. And as hard as it is for a woman to forge her path in law, it is twice as hard for a working class woman. All around her, Tessa sees people, mostly men, who have a long lineage of practicing lawyers and barristers, family practices and trust funds. Tessa builds herself up from very different circumstances, and learns seeming simple things like dress and accent through close observation of her peers.
The novel has a clever Now and Then timeline, switching between past events and leading up to that awful night for Tessa, and the present trial, where she fights it in court. I found both sections equally riveting. The descriptions were so detailed and hard to read (trigger warning) but served to really draw you in. I found it so compelling and would love to see a staged version of it. It was quite an important read also on the issue of consent.
Overall a really great novel that I would highly recommend.
It
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
emotional
sad
medium-paced
A really really tough and upsetting read. Quite overwhelmed with emotion at points.
I don't regret listening to it though.
It is a powerful story, and an educational one too, for until now, I hadn't understood why the conviction rate for rape is so low. Now, I'm desperate to see if there is any change happening in the court process. Because the current situation is truly terrifying, and I can't believe that's still how rape trials are conducted. Its nonsensical. It's infuriating. It's upsetting.
I don't regret listening to it though.
It is a powerful story, and an educational one too, for until now, I hadn't understood why the conviction rate for rape is so low. Now, I'm desperate to see if there is any change happening in the court process. Because the current situation is truly terrifying, and I can't believe that's still how rape trials are conducted. Its nonsensical. It's infuriating. It's upsetting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
What a book. What a woman. Sadly, it's not an inventive story. Yet, it's going to stay with me for many years to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape