Reviews tagging 'Rape'

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

17 reviews

kellylover86's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

Lots of short chapters which helps move the book along. The book tells the story of two smart, quick friends, girls becoming women in 50s and 60s Italy. Deals some with themes of misogyny, lack of opportunities for women at that time, violent masculinity. It was hard to keep the characters straight. The cast of characters is pretty large and many have similar names.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Rape

augie_'s review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Violence, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Sexual violence

miller8d's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This book is brilliant in a way that makes me say “This is the story of a real life,” not “omg I love this book.” Like, I don’t really feel like I read a fictional story. (I actually have no clue if it’s autobiographical or not but I won’t google it because I don’t want to spoil it). Perhaps for that reason, this book took me an incredible long time to read. Like, months on end of picking it up and loving it, but being unable to pick it up again because it was so difficult to read. I don’t even think it was actually difficult literature for me, but instead so emotionally dense and detail-heavy that I couldn’t pay anything but 100% attention while reading, otherwise I’d have to go back dozens of pages to figure out why I was confused. Also,

this is perhaps the only book or story I’ve ever known which accurately depicts how tumultuous and confusing and painful it can be to survive childhood and grow up. I absolutely loved her depiction of how the child’s mind can equally spin fantasy and horrific terror on the same coin— not simple boogieman stuff, but much scarier, finding awful and disturbing fears in/around the mundane figures of your social world and daily life, even when there’s nothing truly wrong there.

Beautiful book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death, Abandonment, Body shaming, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Self harm, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

alyssakueppers's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape

flovntic's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Rape, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexism, Classism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

megansoetaert's review

emotional slow-paced

4.25

this was an emotional look into girlhood, with so many themes and emotions that transcend time and place. while the setting of mid-twentieth century, working-class Italy heavily informed the plot and the characters, it still felt relatable as someone who experienced growing up a girl. 

the complex relationship between Elena and Lila was written so well. i felt like i knew the two girls, and often felt like i had to hide behind my hands because girls still act like that sometimes!! i really enjoyed the commentary on class and injustice in that era of Italy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Rape

folklorestan's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual assault

raisinreads's review

3.0

I know this is universally loved & there were factors of it I definitely enjoyed, but it just didn't quite hit for me, felt underwhelming in a lot of ways

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Classism

butterflight's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Murder

Minor: Sexual harassment, Violence, and Rape

selenatothemax's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Violence, and Rape