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mamanarwhal's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Child abuse and Drug use
ohdeerboi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Abortion
Minor: Drug use
redefiningrachel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Death, Violence, Murder, Kidnapping, Gore, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Rape
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
elizabethchant's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Pregnancy, Drug use, Abortion, Vomit, and Addiction
ravenreyess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Biphobia, Body horror, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Murder, Pedophilia, Vomit, and Abortion
gabb_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Vomit
galexy_brain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Pedophilia
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Death, Drug use, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit
_stephbroom_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Gun violence
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident, Death, and Drug use
anika222's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Blood, Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, and Drug use
Minor: Abortion
outcrye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
That arc set up a satisfyingly badass final scene with
The thing I love most about this book is how Nora, the main character, lived so many lives with the intent to fool but still managed to make real, meaningful relationships in the present. None of those connections are perfect, because Nora sure isn't, but throughout the book, I could see how the past shaped her and how her current relationships developed as she did in order to process it.
In my opinion, The Girls I've Been is primarily a story about trauma, recovering from abuse, and letting go of the toxic habits one would get from having experienced said abuse. To see this victim love and be loved in whole, healthy ways despite all that baggage is interesting as well as heartening.
The only specific criticism I have is about Nora's relationship with Wes, her best friend. All of her other relationships felt very fleshed out and real to me, despite her past and present being so vastly different from mine, and probably most readers'. I would include Wes in this too, but to a lesser degree when compared to the other characters.
All throughout, we are told that Wes and Nora love each other deeply (explicitly platonic, despite Wes also being an ex-boyfriend) and this love is rooted in their shared childhood trauma. I don't doubt the existence of this love. But what I can't understand is why they connected in the first place, what caused that initial draw—how was young, reclusive Nora, fresh out of an abusive situation, able to open up to this stranger, thus beginning their lifelong friendship?
In contrast with her other connections (her sister, her mom, her girlfriend), we don't see how they meet nor do we have key scenes in their relationship that wasn't
In my opinion, the story placed Wes on the same level as the other key figures in her life but held back for whatever reason... perhaps because, again, there were so many things grappling for the reader's attention.
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Abortion, Cursing, Gore, Murder, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault