Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

63 reviews

soupgod's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Cursing, Sexual content, Rape, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Murder, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Alcohol

winterdevil's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

 ...nothing matters, and nothing lasts. Everyone forgets, and everything disappears. ... Would anyone miss you, if you went away? Would anyone look for you? Would anyone listen, or even care, if I hurt you? If I put my hands around your neck and crushed your windpipe and chopped you up, would anyone find you? And if it's a no to any of these, did you even exist in the first place?

This book is not for everyone, but it is definitely for me.

From the first page, we know protagonist Irina is not a good person, but Clark renders her inner dialogue and the responses to people around her so well. We know what they're warning about and responding nervously to, even as we're forced to see it from Irina's perspective. Irina looks down on so many people; she is extremely condescending and resentful, yet the side characters were still sympathetic and well-rounded. We feel for them as we watch Irina take advantage.

I think the comparisons to American Psycho are apt, particularly regarding Irina's personality which feels in conversation with Patrick Bateman. Not a copy, but from an overlooked subject that broadens the discussion to include gender in the performance of power and violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Sexual content

owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

"I have a photo of each leg, each arm, and his torso: all these boy parts, which I can arrange on my living room floor like a jigsaw."

Solid satire with some really funny moments and interesting characterisation. I really like how Irina's perception of Flo is slowly undercut by external glimpses of Flo. The final conversation about what Flo thinks Irina can give her is such a good example of this, as Irina interprets Flo's doomed desire for her as pathetic, when there is actually something deeply sad about Irina being functionally unable to recognise love and desire as a genuine investment in someone's wellbeing, rather than a means to an end. Irina's cynicism slowly being undercut by her delusions and the optimism of those around her was also really interesting - her voice can be quite compelling so the moments where you realise how flawed her own narrative is about herself and her world was enjoyable.

I did wander what this book was moving towards. The last act felt comparatively slower than previous sections. Anticipating the end of the book, I began to realise it was probably going to lack substantial payoff, which is odd when the first two acts were quickly-paced. Given the prominence of Irina's 'friendship' with Flo, I did feel like that should have featured more in the final conflict.

I have really mixed feelings on this book. The deliberate gratuity was interesting and having also read A Certain Hunger this year I understand the market for and am interested in literary fiction that centres female psychopathy. The commentary on desire and forcing yourself into different boxes was insightful (e.g. Flo only liking who she was supposed to like). I think my main problem is it feels like something is missing, but I just don't know what. I wanted to like it more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sarahkate22's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Vomit, Rape, and Toxic friendship

ahlexcz's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

This book was awful. The characters are poorly written. The plot was bad and so was the execution.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Eating disorder, Gore, and Vomit

caitatkinson_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I’m genuinely not sure what to make of this book at all. I liked that it was from my hometown? I liked some of the social / political / class commentary throughout but it was really odd. Not at all what I was expecting, so much more violent and graphic - super uncomfortable in places! It was such a strange reading experience, I’d definitely check trigger / content warnings before reading this one! I didn’t do that and it was just almost the complete opposite of what the blurb seems to imply. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Body shaming, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Blood, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Vomit

evanescoamy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual content, Self harm, Fatphobia, Drug use, Sexual violence, Death, Rape, Misogyny, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Eating disorder, and Drug abuse

lovelylilelle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Gore, Murder, Drug use, Sexism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Violence

kyeruhh's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

1.5

1.5 bc I definitely didn’t like it but I’m also not sure I hated it? Like I can’t tell if it wasn’t good or just not my jam? Some of the underlying commentary was interesting but it often felt like the book was edgy for the sake of being edgy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

chaoticweevil's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Mental illness

Moderate: Infidelity