Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Skim by Mariko Tamaki

7 reviews

steveatwaywords's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

Skim is a story of young women and misunderstanding, of challenges to compassion and walls against love, of the gulfs between death and alienation, of all of us stumbling ahead nonetheless. Insecurity is near the heart of Tamaki's characters who casually lash out and judge the behaviors of difference, but it is an insecurity nonetheless paired with longing. There is no clear path to love, and tentative overtures are as likely to be lost as tragically fulfilled.

While the stark black and white illustration work complements the bleakness of the story and the divisions between characters, I wondered at points whether greyer tones might better represent the quiet quests of these students against the public performative nonsense the mainstream offers.

Tamaki takes on the misunderstandings we have as people, not merely adolescents, around our discussions of suicide, of enmity, of community. And we must not expect pat or final answers to any of it; quite the opposite. We just keep moving forward as best we can.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Suicide, and Fatphobia

There is no graphic depiction of harm, death, or sexual situations, but these questions dominate the plot.

pabi's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

perfectly captures how pretentious, insufferable and weird I felt in high school (probably on most days I was). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Grief, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Bullying, and Fatphobia

itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.5

This was a very quick read. Lots of triggers but an honest portrayal of how it may feel to be young and not know what’s going on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicide, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, and Racism

Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Alcoholism

queerandtalkative's review against another edition

4.0

CW: pedophilia: grooming, adult/minor relationship. Fatphobia, internalized misogyny, toxic friendships, ableism. Topics around suicide.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Homophobia, and Fatphobia

Minor: Self harm

mothie_girlie's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Lesbophobia, and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Self harm

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Homophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, and Pedophilia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Medical content, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Sexism, and Sexual content

Underage smoking is present. Sexual jokes and slut-shaming pop up occasionally. Frequent "jokes" about suicide and self-harm. The 16-year-old main character is infatuated with her adult teacher, with some brief visuals of them kissing and several scenes of them in the teacher's house. There is also some vaguely uncomfortable behavior there on the protagonist's behalf, with her independently finding her teacher's address in the first place.

khakipantsofsex's review against another edition

mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Self harm and Homophobia