Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Girls and their Horses by Eliza Jane Brazier

5 reviews

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Death, Murder, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Vomit, Cursing, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

ezwolf's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

This is not a genre I usually read, but there was a horse on the cover so of course I was interested. Which is pretty ironic considering the book and it’s opinion of horse girls (I personally consider this to be a gender neutral title at least for myself, I am still a horse girl even though I’m not a girl). 

The murder mystery aspect was interesting enough to keep me going and finish it, but I didn’t like any of the characters or particularly care about any of their individual storylines. 

I was thoroughly entertained by the description of barn culture though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism

seawarrior's review against another edition

5.0

Girls and Their Horses is a character study that successfully masquerades behind a thriller novel. If Brazier was a less adept author, many of the choices her characters made would have seemed nonsensical. Yet Brazier crafts her characters with histories, motivations and senses of self that clash wonderfully, maintaining tension throughout a novel that winds at times before reminding us that we are witnessing the fallout that culminated in a person's murder. I found this story fascinating, especially because it zeros in on a competitive world that the average person will never view from the inside. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Minor: Drug abuse, Animal death, and Classism

mysterymom40's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Bullying, Classism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Violence

minors drinking and illegally taking prescription drugs; sometimes on their own and other times aided by a parent; grooming

goldenbeebookshop's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.75

This book isn’t really about the glamorous world of rich moms putting their daughters through the elite world of competitive horse riding- that’s just the stage on which we see the challenges of family and growing pains play out on.
While there is a mystery- who is dead and why is a threaded needle piercing through the whole story, so you can’t forget about it, the story is more about people searching for family and belonging.  There are two moms and their respective daughters at the center of the story. Each is struggling to find their place in the world and to receive the kind of care they need in order to feel like a whole person. It’s steeped with generational trauma and questions about what kind of happiness money can buy.

The ending makes it feel a little bit slice of life- some things are figured out, some threads are tied off, but the futures of the women and girls feel uncertain and deeply malleable. 
An interesting ride for this non-horse world person. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Murder