Scan barcode
pinkmalady's review
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
i cannot, in all objectivity, rate 'Gray' above 4.5 stars, but i also cannot, in all honesty, rate this book less than at least 4.5 stars. for similar reasons, i rated my favorite novel, 'Tarkin' by James Luceno, a 4.5. they are both deeply flawed, i know exactly what the flaws are, i know exactly how said flaws could've been remedied, and i must acknowledge that these are not perfect books (far from it, even), but i must also acknowledge that i wholeheartedly love them, and that they speak to me on a viscerally personal level.
'Gray' is the first thing in a long time that has made me really feel. it made me cry laughing. it is one of the most depressing books i've ever read. it's violently misogynistic, arguably in a satirical manner, but none the less misogynistic. in fact, this book could easily be classified as a satire. i think that's fucking incredible, self-effacing, ridiculous, insane, etc. smashing a pie into your own face and all that, if anyone remembers that bitter rant of mine. arguably, the pie doesn't even land, and the floor is dirty, and he's caught white-handed.
this is the novel-length equivalent of the 'i mean he apologized for it and his dick is ten inches throbbing and he has anxiety and panic attacks and i want him to fuck me [sic] i rlly [sic] don't think it was on purpose' tweet, except he hasn't apologized and definitely intended at least 90% of this on purpose. fuck Him for real.
maybe if i weren't having a depressive episode to end all depressive episodes, i wouldn't have liked this book so much. but who fucking cares? it gave me a reason to get out of bed, even just earlier today. i put it in my closet, so i had to get out of bed every day to pick it up and read it, and, by g-d, did i want to read it.
reading 'Gray' is a lot like watching a car crash, except i've been the car crashing, so it puts things into perspective. it's different being a by-stander. it's different simply having no control, not stripping it from yourself, not swerving because it's your g-d damn car and you're the one fucking driving it, aren't you? it's standing in the middle of the road, watching the car careen into the retaining wall, split a tree in half, smashing another car to bits in the process. as the book progressed, this analogy only got more and more fitting. he, too, is obsessed with vehicular accidents.
it has a sudden, open-ended ending that leaves it feeling distinctly unfinished, but also makes you want to immediately re-read it because the ending recontextualizes the entire story. maybe it is a complete story, and he just ends it like that on purpose. maybe he just needed it out of his system. maybe he didn't want to finish it. maybe he couldn't finish it.
but i don't give a fuck. BEST BOOK EVER. leave me and my wet cardboard box boy alone.... we're going to go stand on lake shore together and think really hard about doing drugs, but then not do any.
'Gray' is the first thing in a long time that has made me really feel. it made me cry laughing. it is one of the most depressing books i've ever read. it's violently misogynistic, arguably in a satirical manner, but none the less misogynistic. in fact, this book could easily be classified as a satire. i think that's fucking incredible, self-effacing, ridiculous, insane, etc. smashing a pie into your own face and all that, if anyone remembers that bitter rant of mine. arguably, the pie doesn't even land, and the floor is dirty, and he's caught white-handed.
this is the novel-length equivalent of the 'i mean he apologized for it and his dick is ten inches throbbing and he has anxiety and panic attacks and i want him to fuck me [sic] i rlly [sic] don't think it was on purpose' tweet, except he hasn't apologized and definitely intended at least 90% of this on purpose. fuck Him for real.
maybe if i weren't having a depressive episode to end all depressive episodes, i wouldn't have liked this book so much. but who fucking cares? it gave me a reason to get out of bed, even just earlier today. i put it in my closet, so i had to get out of bed every day to pick it up and read it, and, by g-d, did i want to read it.
reading 'Gray' is a lot like watching a car crash, except i've been the car crashing, so it puts things into perspective. it's different being a by-stander. it's different simply having no control, not stripping it from yourself, not swerving because it's your g-d damn car and you're the one fucking driving it, aren't you? it's standing in the middle of the road, watching the car careen into the retaining wall, split a tree in half, smashing another car to bits in the process. as the book progressed, this analogy only got more and more fitting. he, too, is obsessed with vehicular accidents.
it has a sudden, open-ended ending that leaves it feeling distinctly unfinished, but also makes you want to immediately re-read it because the ending recontextualizes the entire story. maybe it is a complete story, and he just ends it like that on purpose. maybe he just needed it out of his system. maybe he didn't want to finish it. maybe he couldn't finish it.
but i don't give a fuck. BEST BOOK EVER. leave me and my wet cardboard box boy alone.... we're going to go stand on lake shore together and think really hard about doing drugs, but then not do any.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Addiction, Infidelity, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Cursing, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Self harm, Gaslighting, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Vomit, and Physical abuse
Minor: Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence
asporkthief's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
if you like Pete Wentz's writing style, you'll like this. But damn bitch you lived like this?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Sexism, and Mental illness
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
More...