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v4mpstarzz'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Genuinely don’t know how to rate this book. People weren’t lying when they described it as “all the weird parts of girlhood.” It reminded me of all of the gross (and also very queer) things my friends and I would get up to around that age. I think the author did a great job at capturing that grimy feeling, as well as the confusing transition period as a kid. Going from innocence and ignorance to being vulgar and disgusting. The chapters make you feel like you’re remembering bits and pieces of the narrators childhood, which make it quick to get through. I found a lot of the misspellings and misuse of english words to be funny and endearing. I still have so many thoughts but I’m going to stop here. I’d definitely say give it a read, just make sure you check the content warnings beforehand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Vomit, and Eating disorder
julesceasara's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Gross but I guess that was most of the plot. The fact they were 10 years old was kind of Ick. However it was a very quick, engrossing read. For the life of me I can’t figure out the ending like wtf actually happened and I can’t find any mention of it online I feel like I’m losing my mind. Did someone die? Or not? Like I don’t know, and it seems like no one else does either.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Fatphobia, Excrement, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Body shaming, and Sexual content
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Death of parent
babywren's review against another edition
3.5
Not really sure how I feel about this book? I enjoyed the writing style but struggled with some of the content.
I felt quite uncomfortable when young characters were talked about in an intimate or sexual way, even though it was supposed to be from the curious perspective of the main character.
I felt quite uncomfortable when young characters were talked about in an intimate or sexual way, even though it was supposed to be from the curious perspective of the main character.
Content Warnings
Minor: Rape, Self harm, and Eating disorder
jennifercheck's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Rape
Moderate: Excrement, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Child death
folchart's review against another edition
lighthearted
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
llorona's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Colonisation, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Rape, Child death, Body shaming, Excrement, Emotional abuse, and Blood
carly_reads's review
emotional
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
Feral girlhood. My heart physically ached for the narrator.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Vomit, Excrement, and Rape
Moderate: Suicide, Child death, and Body shaming
heartlocket's review against another edition
challenging
slow-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
1.5
TLDR: little character development, mostly gross out/shock content.
I expected an interesting look into a codependent and toxic friendship between two young girls. But that’s not how I would actually describe this book. This book follows characters who see little to no development (yes there is one moment where the main character sticks up for herself, but she then immediately reverts back) and intentionally tries to shock and gross you out. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on things like eating disorders (bulimia), menstruation, or other natural body functions. But I genuinely do not understand why many of the details that were included in this book were there except for shock value. Reading this just felt uncomfortable intrusive and exploitative to the lives of these little girls.
I expected an interesting look into a codependent and toxic friendship between two young girls. But that’s not how I would actually describe this book. This book follows characters who see little to no development (yes there is one moment where the main character sticks up for herself, but she then immediately reverts back) and intentionally tries to shock and gross you out. There’s nothing wrong with focusing on things like eating disorders (bulimia), menstruation, or other natural body functions. But I genuinely do not understand why many of the details that were included in this book were there except for shock value. Reading this just felt uncomfortable intrusive and exploitative to the lives of these little girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Rape
Minor: Child death
hollyrebecca's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.25
This story is raw, visceral, and disgusting in it’s depiction of girlhood and puberty in poverty. I rarely read books that make me feel nauseous and fascinated at the same time, but this book definitely achieved that.
We follow our heroine over the course of a summer in her home in the mountains of Tenerife. In this short span of time we see, from her 10-year-old eyes, friendships and family in both the mundane and the adventurous.
Abreu uses a very interesting technique for story telling to evoke our childish narrator, the prose being unlike anything I’ve read. Whole chapters are told as single sentences without any punctuation. There’s no differentiation between speech and other text throughout. It culminates into a piece of work that reads as both a diary and an internal monologue.
Our heroine has a very restricted worldview, driven in part by her having no knowledge or interest in seeing the world past a certain point of her village. This is reflected in the cultural references throughout the book, which made me feel like these characters existed in almost a different world. The slang terms and child-like misnomers for recognisable English-name brands, such as The Sinsons rather than The Simpsons, perpetuated this sensation.
I think this book was very well written, I just personally wouldn’t read this again as some of the graphic descriptions made me feel very unsettled. I appreciate that this was the purpose of the novel, to show you the unsettling realities of growing up in such an environment while tackling some difficult topics, but it unfortunately wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Excrement, and Rape
Moderate: Vomit, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Death
lorie266's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Child death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Death of parent, Vomit, and Suicide