Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

25 reviews

its_ash's review

challenging emotional reflective tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, and Emotional abuse

vagaybond's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

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

3.25

this was hard to read, emotionally speaking. one of the protagonists is a multiple-times-over CSA survivor and the beginning of the story was a lot of him only for the first time realizing that people are capable of seeing him as something worthy of basic respect. it hits really close to home in a few ways that I don't think are something I want to channel in a book review.

this book is the kind of thing that you might glance over and think well, cute I love the fake relationship trope. but then it hits you with heavy catholic church scale pedophilia trauma and what it means to experience love when you don't have the capability to express or receive it. and how that traumatizes people who care about you and how it pushes people away. and what accountability for that means. and maybe closure.

I think it also just weighs on me a lot as someone who has complicated grief about an ex who met me when I was like that. I always had that sense of unresolve, but this ex died before we could talk again. it hurts and I wish I had the resources for this scale of therapy. it's hard to rate this because of how I feel about my own stuff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Rape, Biphobia, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Medical content

stormw's review

emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

OH MY GOD THE ANGST!!! THE AUDIOBOOK NARRATORS ARE SO TALENTED AND THE WRITING IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE THIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ IN SO LONG

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Child abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Drug abuse, and Biphobia

jadatrack's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

4.25

It’s good and I’m glad the author is upfront with the content warnings. Please know this is not a lighthearted romance - it follows the typical arc of a romance but the trauma the main characters experienced and the toxic cycles they engage in as a result is front and center throughout. It’s important that we have a variety of love stories out there so those with trauma can see that they too deserved to be loved. But if you are looking for a romance for a sense of escapism, this would not be the one to read. Again, the book is wonderfully done and definitely needed to expand the genre, so I’m not criticizing it. I just know that many of us read romance to have a lighthearted escape and I wouldn’t want anyone to go in without knowing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Rape, and Pedophilia

Minor: Cancer

endemictoearth's review

challenging dark reflective sad 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

I started this on audio and made it to about 60% before I switched to the physical book. The audio was fine, but the story was going some pretty dark places and I can read much faster with my eyes. That was the correct decision for me.

I really enjoyed Felix Ever After, and have recommended it many times. I say that because I do think this author writes YA well. This debut adult romance . . . well, it didn't live up to my hopes for it. I mostly enjoyed the first half. It wasn't perfect; I didn't really think Mattie was a believable movie star type. The way he was described in the book by his fans and the press as being 'too pure and innocent' was pretty spot on. I think Logan could have been an interesting character, but we didn't really get much from him, which made sense for how he had to close himself off to survive, but we needed to be shown more from him in other ways.

The multimedia aspect of the book worked in some parts, showing how vitriolic people can be on social media, how fangirls write rpf with glee, the interviews were well placed. The therapy sessions from Logan's doctor were less successful, and I was frankly confused about the Mattie's autobiographical snippets until the very end. I think it was supposed to be a revelatory moment, but it fell flat for me.

I do think the conversations around trauma and what happy ever afters look like when you have to deal with a lifetime of pain and anguish were worthwhile. I just don't think they were adequately addressed by this book. This felt like a second draft that needed at least two more edits. I wish so much that this story had been given more time and attention before publishing it. I'm not even sure I can rate it, because it isn't a one star. Maybe it's a two star book, but I'll probably leave it unrated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

kaylasoos's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Addiction

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Pedophilia

sydreadslots's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I thought this was going to be a very different review until about 20% of this books, I liked it but I wasn’t sucked in. The writing was a little more show than tell which I think can happen easily in first person narrative. But then I got SUCKED in. This book is raw and painful and you grow to love these characters. It tackles such hard topics like childhood SA with care and a strong thread of reality. These characters are messy and make the wrong choices even if it’s for the right reasons. I don’t know much about Hollywood but these characters felt like real people to me. The frank discussions of racism, colorism and homophobia felt so real and raw. The excerpts of Ao3 brought some much needed levity and had me chuckling. I loved the bits of twitter or news and YouTubers all weighing in on this relationship between Logan and Mattie. I’m about to go devour the rest of KC’s novels and hope we get another adult romance soon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual violence, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Racism

jencolumb0's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

First and foremost, read the content warnings and proceed accordingly. However, like Alexis Hall’s heavier works (I’m looking at you, Glitterland), Callender takes on such heavy, traumatic material with compassionate, thoughtful humanity that allows the reader to rewire their more common, stereotypical, and generally thoughtless approach to the topics covered. 

Make no mistake: this is not a frothy beach romp. Nonetheless, for the (larger than we’d all like to imagine) population who has wrangled with these issues, the representation is critical. Further, the depiction of a character like Logan finding safety, and even love;  Mattie learning how to set boundaries; and the two of them finding the freedom and confidence to choose each other for decades is, undoubtedly, quite powerful for those who relate to these characters - an incredibly insightful read for the right person. It also gets a lot of points for the layers of commentary challenging the treatment of *humans* as consumable resources in late-stage capitalism. I’m glad I picked this one up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Biphobia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, and Addiction

Minor: Cancer

_moonsongenthusiast_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Rape, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

michelle_bernice92's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Racism, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide, Pedophilia, Addiction, and Suicidal thoughts