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hschlecht's review against another edition
4.25
Minor: Eating disorder, Self harm, Fatphobia, Murder, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
goldenbeebookshop's review against another edition
3.0
All evidence thus far does paint a bleak picture for women in America- and there's value to that being explored, I just don't know how I feel about it being hung on this mystery scaffolding. The main character's actions do prompt some questions about whether or not there's nuance when it comes to believing women, to penalizing men for the actions of the past and assessing whether there's a spectrum of behaviors that might warrant different actions, and what kind of justice or truth can be found in the court of public opinion in a time when anyone can have a podcast or YouTube channel.
There is some great writing here- little concise sentences here are there that completely capture the feeling of being young, or being lost, or a person struggling in the world.
The pacing is a little slow in the beginning, and Bode felt a little incomplete as a character. There are little pieces of things dropped in and abandoned that I was uncertain as to whether they were meant to serve as mini red herrings or if they were underdeveloped plot additions. The last quarter of the book did move a lot faster and I find myself eager to sit down and read for an hour straight, which I hadn't been as eager to do before.
I think it might be helpful for people to know going into this that this is a story that feels true in that justice is rarely found in white patriarchal contexts, vigilante justice while potentially satisfying isn't always accurate or successful, and there are ripples of grief and shame that impact family and friends because of the choices of one person that are inescapable. There's no real high note to end on here, which is real, but rare in a fictional mystery.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Death of parent, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Classism, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Cancer, Murder, Alcohol, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Child death, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Racism
hellocath'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Infidelity, Classism, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Minor: Self harm, Cancer, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Suicide