Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

9 reviews

chaleyah's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Body shaming

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

3.0

a cute book but way too heavy-handed with its themes for my liking

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Racism, Suicide attempt, and Pedophilia

Minor: Infidelity and Cursing

writeronherway's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Body shaming

amazelan's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Fatphobia

Minor: Medical content and Abandonment

joiceeg's review

emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Gaslighting

rose_play's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I’m the same amount of Asian as I am white. Why doesn’t anyone ever call me half white? It’s confusing. I wonder if it will always be confusing

It was going well till 70% but then the pacing took a downturn, so many juvenile plot points were added just for the sake shock effect. It was a melancholy read.
Some things were handled so well and then some, very serious, stuff was just glossed over

I thought nobody understood the way he was. I thought I was the problem. But some people are just starfish—they need everyone to fill the roles that they assign. They need the world to sit around them, pointing at them and validating their feelings. But you can’t spend your life trying to make a starfish happy, because no matter what you do, it will never be enough. They will always find a way to make themselves the center of attention, because it’s the only way they know how to live.” 

I just didn't understand the need for romantic subplot and why was it even done in the first place. I didn't feel the chemistry or even the reason they were together, it'd have been so much better with them staying friends.

Every time I talk to her it feels like I’m taking a test. Most of the time I fail before I even open my mouth.

It was such an anticipated read tho, I'm very disappointed by how certain things were handled cause I loved the Asian rep ( even tho Asian doesn't always mean shall eyes and round nose for crying out loud, South Asia exists) even then the struggle of identity and heritage while in a toxic household was set up so well but alas, the ending ruined it for me. No this is not a spoiler it's tw so here you go.... The abuser is never punished, nor was he even fucking confronted. Her mental health was represented so well, but her mother's was brushed off and honestly was poorly written.

I’m half Asian, a girl, and I believe in aliens. Pretty much every lifetime before mine would have sucked for me.”

The main character was so passive tho, in whole book she made one active decision for herself, just one. I know it was hard but damn, should've given her more agency at least in the last chapters

It always seems like the only way to keep everyone else happy is to do something that makes me unhappy. I don’t know how to grow out of that.”

Also I didn't like the theme of the book of how everything she drew came from a bad place even after moving away. I know and I have myself expressed emotions through art and writing but if ALL of that comes from a bad place, how are you ever gonna escape if you are doing this all for escapism. What happens when you are in a good place in life. Shouldn't that zeal to create come from where you really want it.


If you crave a sad and tense read you could give it a shot.

 I wish I could turn to dust and disintegrate into the dark air like I don’t exist at all. It would be easier that way.

Also there's a Taylor swift reference you all!!

I could never take photographs the way Jamie does. He captures strangers like he’s invisible. And he sees the best possible version of them—it’s the way I imagine things in my head, but the only way I can make it real is to paint it. To me, ideals don’t exist in real life. I have to make them up.But Jamie sees them everywhere. Imperfection is his ideal, because it’s real and tangible, and he knows how to translate it into a frozen moment in time that will be beautiful forever.

The writing is beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Abandonment

Minor: Body shaming, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

nandakandabooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide attempt

katjoyphil's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

litet_hjortron's review

emotional sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Suicide