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flovntic'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
5.0
Moderate: Violence, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
katharina90's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
I appreciated the glimpses into what life was like in an impoverished Naples neighborhood in the 1950s and beyond.
I came away with the impression that it was dark and violent, particularly for women, and that the rampant sexism of this time and place deeply affected female friendships, often turning them toxic and jealous rather than supportive and empowering.
While this may be accurate and valuable from an educational standpoint, I didn't find it very enjoyable to read. It made the characters really unlikeable and so I wasn't invested in their story. I just wanted to get through it.
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Fatphobia, Ableism, and Racial slurs
lisafagerlind's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
Minor: Sexual harassment and Child abuse
isabookabel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment
risemini's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Ableism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, and Racism
dreamersmind's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, and Death of parent
raisinreads's review
3.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism
lianadmtr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a sophisticated, dark, honest yet painful exploration of girlhood and female friendships in a space that is so fundamentally abusive to women. fuck every single man in this story
i do see the donna tartt stylistic similarities but elena ferrante writes with so much more intimacy and warmth. my favorite part was how i read almost the entire book thinking that lila was the brilliant friend while relating a lot to lenu, only to realize in the end that lila considered lenu the brilliant one - to me, this was so sad yet so beautiful at the same time
Graphic: Sexual assault and Child abuse
m_delaney's review
- 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
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
theabee's review
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse