Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - A Very Nice Girl

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Very Nice Girl by Imogen Crimp

12 reviews

mpeach's review

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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mattyvreads's review

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dark emotional tense 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

2.75

This was a really interesting read.

It was giving POV relationship abuse, which was sometimes tough, and often (intentionally) uncomfortable.

The most successful element of the book was the visceral nature of the storytelling. Crimp makes the reader feel everything that is happening in the protagonist’s body, which evokes joy, pain, sadness, horror, unease, anxiety, excitement, delight, and more. It is a unique experience.

The book offers some subtle and other times obvious feminist messaging, but it never feels painfully on-the-nose. It is overt when it needs to be. It is straightforward and thought-provoking.

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aaron444's review

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emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

i'm so sad wtf

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frannyrdclark's review

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emotional reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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cassidy's review

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challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

A little anxiety inducing… I was rooting for Anna the entire time and ultimately I feel okay about it but if I knew how deep she would get I don’t know if I would’ve read this

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smlima1992's review

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challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

madelinedalton's review

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dark emotional sad medium-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

4.0

Read the content warnings before you read this book!

Overall, I really liked this book. It definitely appeals to a niche audience. If you like Sally Rooney, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, or Phoebe Bridgers, you’ll likely love this book. The writing style is very dry and a little detached, and Crimp doesn’t use quotation marks. If characters who are so flawed that they make you want to throw your book at the wall, dry writing, and literary fiction are your thing, you’ll like this. If not, skip this one.

I also recommend this to performers—Imogen Crimp gave the most accurate depiction of conservatory life I have ever read. While I went to school for musical theatre (not opera), I resonated with a lot of her journey. The depictions of imposter syndrome and the post-performance high were particularly relatable.

If this book’s premise is appealing but you want a more charismatic writing voice and a diverse cast of characters, I highly recommend Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams instead!

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