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alissynia's review against another edition
4.0
A bleak and dark story about the growing relationship between a young woman and an older man.
Sixteen year old girl Katya with all of her vulnerability and bravado is cleverly explored. This is a story that draws you into a deeply claustrophobic and increasingly disturbed world. It's a thoughtful examination of how a young woman on the cusp of adulthood is manipulated by the adults in her life. She wants to please and wants to hope that adults aren't all irredeemably selfish and self serving. Mr Kidder is one of those most quietly unpleasant of characters. A successful man, a pillar of the community. Innocuous on the surface but from the trail of breadcrumbs the author leaves having had a lifetime obsession with adolescent girls.
I'd have liked a different ending but it wouldn't necessarily have been a better ending.
This was my first Joyce Carol Oates novel and I will certainly be seeking out more of her work
Sixteen year old girl Katya with all of her vulnerability and bravado is cleverly explored. This is a story that draws you into a deeply claustrophobic and increasingly disturbed world. It's a thoughtful examination of how a young woman on the cusp of adulthood is manipulated by the adults in her life. She wants to please and wants to hope that adults aren't all irredeemably selfish and self serving. Mr Kidder is one of those most quietly unpleasant of characters. A successful man, a pillar of the community. Innocuous on the surface but from the trail of breadcrumbs the author leaves having had a lifetime obsession with adolescent girls.
I'd have liked a different ending but it wouldn't necessarily have been a better ending.
This was my first Joyce Carol Oates novel and I will certainly be seeking out more of her work
bartvanovermeire's review against another edition
1.0
Joyce Carol Oates has won quite a few prizes in her career and apparently has been a Nobel Prize favorite since at least the early 80s according to Wikipedia. Hopefully, these accolades are based on other books than this one, but I won't bother to find out. This was pretty horrible, I should have followed my instincts and kept it unread in my bookcase.
leilaniann's review against another edition
3.0
I had stop and think for a while whether or not I even liked this book. The characters were unsettling and unlikeable, but in the end, it wasn't a bad story.
annehcz's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
cinephilegirl_'s review against another edition
4.0
Un libro muy difícil sobre lo que hace el abuso en la mente de Katya y como la deja abierta a repetir patrones con otros hombres o sea la piba es una re víctima aunque intenta pretender que ella deja todo a los dados decidir su suerte
Es oscuro y ciertamente un retelling tremendo de caperucita roja.
Es oscuro y ciertamente un retelling tremendo de caperucita roja.
jackiekeating's review against another edition
2.0
This was a bummer because of JOC's short stories start out as if everything is fine, and then slowly unfold into horrific, creepy tales. This novella started out slowly and didn't really pick up until the last third of the story, and even then, it wasn't gripping but just kind of sad. I wouldn't recommend it.
maryrosegrace's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.5
melissa_reads_books's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-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? No
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Rape
Moderate: Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Violence, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Death
Minor: Cancer
bee_ewe's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
aintnofoolia's review against another edition
1.0
This isn't the only problem I have with this book but it definitely solidified the 1 star rating for me: there are two instances of on-page rape that are just brushed off