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caroisreading's review against another edition
- 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
2.75
I was stressed reading this, and truly despised everyone in this book. There were out-of-character moments when Emma Cline wrote really thought-provoking commentary on elitism, relationships, abuse and sexism, but they were moments of clarity detached from the mess that was Alex, stumbling through her journey with pain killers, booze, sex and fear. She's running from an abusive man wanting his money back, while running towards her "safest" option, another man who has money, a vicious cycle.
There were lots of references to Alex thinking she was a ghost, as she moved through life as an accessory, never spoken to, and quite literally looked through. She survived by playing these strangers, by blending in, and appealing to them with sex and pleasant company. Race wasn't a factor in this, and I assumed she and everyone around her were white (lots of "blond hair," "Germanic" descriptions), so this made her deception even more frictionless as she entered these social circles.
I closed this book and was like, yep, got it, I'm depressed and slightly annoyed. And I've been here before with other "messed up pretty girl" narratives.
This is worth a read if you want something darker, grimy, reflective of today's imbalanced relationships and wealth disparity.
Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship
picketfences's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse
spencerssnow'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
3.5
Minor: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Drug abuse
raphynette's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol
nomonbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Car accident, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Ableism
wormgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Car accident
ashley_turch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Car accident, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse
There is a part about the characters finding a lost dog. The dog eventually gets lost again in an anticlimactic way, but I just pretended that someone found him and his owner.tashtasher's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness
Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Blood, Car accident, and Bullying
danajoy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
It's unsatisfying, uninteresting and meandering but some people really like this sort of slice of life story with a problematic, sad girl protagonist.
The relationship with a minor in particular left a sour taste in my mouth.
I put it on my 24 in 2024 list which was the main reason I didn't just DNF.
Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
This is one of those nothing happens, just vibes, kind of books. The main character, Alex, is insufferable and still pretty unknown to the reader by the end. I didn't like any of the supporting characters either. It doesn't have a dramatic climax. There is a long build to an event that gets abuptly cut off without any clear payoff.drowsyowl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Trafficking