Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

37 reviews

nara_knl's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

reading this book was so out of my comfort zone… even though this is not even close to my go to genre, this book caught me instantly! i love the way it’s written! i love nora! i love iris and wes! and this story was catchy and so so good!! i’m really happy i stepped out of my comfort zone! i would’ve missed so much! so excited for the movie tho!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Rape, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Outing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Pregnancy

daisythesprout's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

"I am someone who survives. I am a liar and I'm a thief and I'm a con artist. And I hope I'm still the girl you're in love with, because I am really, really in love with you."

4 1/2 stars

Ohhhhh. That was good.

Sharpe's story is as sharp(e) as her name - it skirts no edges, and deflects no lines. Brutal, haunting, and irrevocably unforgettable.

This is a book about many people, and one person. It's a collection of many stories. Stories about trauma and love and the press of bruised skin and finding yourself. The characters are tender and oh-so-real, but there is no shying away from the darkness in here. We start at the end, and we work back through the past, untangling the webbed histories of the people our protagonist has passed by. We watch Nora unfold, and it's like a chrysalis opening.

It's about knives and secrets and all the ways you can hurt and be hurt. But even through all that - it's about friendship, and healing, and the mysterious grey ways light works in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Bullying, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion

bealittlebrave's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, and Death

ifoundcallie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Wow! Loved this book. A few loose ends left me wondering why they were introduced in the first place like

Olive being their safe phrase—was it Lee’s first “girl” name? Grey cap being an ex-fed or some other info Lee said making him rage—why did we not get the robbers’ stories? The man who was shot—did he die?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Murder, Pedophilia, and Cursing

Minor: Chronic illness, Bullying, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Vomit, Rape, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Car accident

Most information about SA is discussed using coded phrases or intentionally vague references that the reader can fill the blanks in with. Sharpe did a good job of handling this tastefully while still not shying away from the reality and effects of such abuse

fox2800's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Abortion, Bullying, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Blood, and Gaslighting

erinbrenner's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

This book immediately grabbed me. I liked finding out more about Nora's past throughout the book's present in the order that best served the current moment. But I was often frustrated with not knowing how old she was and how two periods connected. I was most way through the book before understanding she was 17 or 18. I didn't always know how old she was in past episodes, making the story confusing at times. The story and characters were enjoyable but I'm not sure I'd read it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Bullying, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Murder

Minor: Kidnapping and Medical content

dani_saur30's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, and Kidnapping

leahkarge's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Rape, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Vomit, Gun violence, and Abortion

tigger89's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Told in a series of short, punchy chapters, alternating between the present day and flashbacks to Nora's early life, this story races along, leaping from plan to plan as the situation develops. To be clear, this book is a power fantasy, throwing realism aside to deliver a story of abuse, manipulation, and the ability to find the strength to stand up for yourself when there's nobody coming to save you. This isn't a bad thing, but it's good to set expectations going in.

The exploration of Nora's identities was very well done. While the younger two had few details, I feel that I really got to know Haley, Katie and Ashley. The trauma incurred and their responses to it were the most realistic part of the book, to the point where I suggest checking content warnings before reading. Additionally, I really liked the dynamic between Nora, Iris and Wes, especially how Iris stepped into the role of Nora's accomplice. It's always nice to see explicitly bisexual characters, and here we've got two of them!

I wasn't so much a fan of how the past was revealed. It skipped around, teasing without telling, and I sometimes wasn't sure when or who I was. There were also a few mysteries teased but never delivered upon, such as the forest fire. It was made out to be a whole big thing, but we never saw the moment go down, and were left to piece together what might have happened from what came before and after. That seemed odd to me, given that it was such a pivotal moment in the Nora-Wes-Iris drama.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Bullying

Minor: Pregnancy and Abortion

pageswithamber's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Bullying, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault