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zeldazonks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book made me feel so icky and just despondent in a way I'm not sure I've experienced when reading a book before. It was genuinely challenging to read but also so compelling. I've read a lot of books with unlikeable, problematic women protagonists but Irina Sturgess is on another level.
I didn't like the pacing of the text conversations, perhaps it works better not as an audiobook but it was quite tedious for the more mundane text threads of them arranging nights out or whatever, and that put me off a little. But when you're just listening to Irina's villain monologues it's horrifically fascinating.
Graphic: Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Murder, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail
tayo2000's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Boy Parts is a thoroughly engrossing (and gruesome? Brutal? Unhinged??) exploration of gender and sexuality. The power of men over women looked at through the lens of a female protagonist (antagonist?) flipping the narrative on its head. I think I will certainly need some more time to fully digest this and sort my thoughts. Rest assured though this is a five star read.
Irina is also a sociopath, but that’s a conversation for another time.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Drug use
Moderate: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Self harm, Sexual content, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse
houseofjules's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It also made me realize that this is what My Year of Rest and Relaxation wants to be and falls drastically short. I have also seen this compared to American Psycho but for girls. And you know what, I liked that story as well (I've only watched it, not read it).
I think this says something bad about me, just not sure what. But I think this is a successful story because of the commentary rather than the behavior displayed by the MC. I mean, girlfriend needs therapy BAD. But her support system failed her from the beginning, starting with her relationship with her mother and the things she goes on to experience in her early years.
This is pretty privilege at play as well, which allows her to get away with lots of things. In fact its the main question she tried to find an answer to. This book feel like running your tongue over a recently extracted tooth. Painful, horrifying even, but hard to stop exploring.
Graphic: Death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Bullying, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Body shaming, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Self harm, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
simply_jxde's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I had no idea where this book was going till the very end. I'm not even sure what really happened.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
documentno_is's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death, Biphobia, Sexual violence, Blood, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Alcoholism, Vomit, Rape, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Abandonment
mcrespo's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Rape, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Pedophilia, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal cruelty
bethniamh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
diana311's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Addiction, Gore, Blood, and Cursing
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
pantslint's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Irina is hilarious and a great unreliable narrator—she had me feeling like I was descending into a k-hole with her, questioning her version of reality alongside everyone else around her.
I love how women are written here, how they (and ultimately, we) are both victims and perpetrators of misogyny and the male gaze.
I wonder what the fuck I have to do for people to recognise me as a threat, you know? It's like... am I even doing this shit? Have I even fucking done anything?
Irina's pretty privilege doesn't make her immune to gender based violence (the opposite, actually), but her literal crazy psychotic bitch behavior is just chalked up to 💅 hot girl shit. Men literally don't see her as dangerous in the same way that women find men dangerous.
Lots to ponder from this book—makes me want to explore other books with similar themes that other reviewers mentioned, like My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh and Tampa by Alissa Nutting.
Graphic: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, and Pedophilia
Minor: Animal death
issymaae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Eating disorder, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship