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xvicesx's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book poses some very interesting questions in a way that isn't preachy, which I supremely appreciate. I deeply dislike the books that are so enamored with the "message" they're trying to convey that they forget to actually tell a story.
I wasn't desperately fond of the vaguely supernatural aspect and the flashbacks (I was traumatised by The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue), but I do get the point it was trying to get at. It just felt that the author could have achieved the same effect with the research for the essay rather than the flashbacks.
But again, I found it to be a pretty good vehicle for an good bit of soul searching, and a nice story of true friendship.
I wasn't desperately fond of the vaguely supernatural aspect and the flashbacks (I was traumatised by The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue), but I do get the point it was trying to get at. It just felt that the author could have achieved the same effect with the research for the essay rather than the flashbacks.
But again, I found it to be a pretty good vehicle for an good bit of soul searching, and a nice story of true friendship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Bullying, and Sexism
Moderate: Grief, Sexual assault, and Torture
Minor: Death of parent, Rape, Death, and Cancer
pepperpot66's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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? No
4.75
As an adult it did not necessarily challenge me; however that's not the reason why I read this book. As a teacher of teenagers, I always like to delve into young adult books so that I can make recommendations to my students. (Ironically, this one happened to be recommended to me by one of my students!)
It really encapsulates the mob mentality around teenagers and the lengths some will go to, to feel superior over others. There is a subtle nod to misogynistic attitudes towards young women and victim blaming culture, but it's not super overpowering in my opinion. I think this allows young girls to make up their own mind.
I love to the idea that the main character, through researching a historical figure accused of witchcraft, would learn about and resonate with victim blaming culture. I think I would have liked more focus on that side of the story as someone who's really interested in that part of history myself.
This would make an absolutely incredible movie or Netflix series of some kind! I think it's a really good book for young girls to read but also mothers of young girls to read and discuss with them about the realities of being a teenage girl in the modern day.
It really encapsulates the mob mentality around teenagers and the lengths some will go to, to feel superior over others. There is a subtle nod to misogynistic attitudes towards young women and victim blaming culture, but it's not super overpowering in my opinion. I think this allows young girls to make up their own mind.
I love to the idea that the main character, through researching a historical figure accused of witchcraft, would learn about and resonate with victim blaming culture. I think I would have liked more focus on that side of the story as someone who's really interested in that part of history myself.
This would make an absolutely incredible movie or Netflix series of some kind! I think it's a really good book for young girls to read but also mothers of young girls to read and discuss with them about the realities of being a teenage girl in the modern day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
gabrielle_erin's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting exploration of the responsibilities of teenagers and the implications of simple actions in the digital age. I really enjoyed the discussion of women's image and slut shaming in this book, these are the sorts of conversations that young people need to be engaging with to understand the ramifications of their actions when it comes to releasing risque images of themselves and others. I really appreciated how the relationship between the main character and her mother was portrayed, I thought it was realistic but also demonstrated how a supportive parent would react in this situation. The one thing I really disliked about this book was the parallel timeline to the witch trials. I understand the connection the author was trying to make but it felt way too cheesy and superficial and fell into the trope of "main character does a book report on book that ends up relating to their life in some aspect". The additional perspective felt unecessary and jarring, considering it was written in second person - I just couldn't suspend my belief long enough to care or even engage with Maggie's storyline. I think the text would still have been just as interesting and poignant without the random flashbacks and magical realism.
aradhnak's review against another edition
4.0
So intense and so necessary and so good. Full review to come soon.
*EDITED*
I received this copy in exchange for an honest review from Definitely Books (Pansing). All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Pansing!
This book is available where all good books are.
Have you ever read a book that you have to keep putting down because it hits you too hard? Even though you have never experienced the exact events taking place in the book, the emotions feel too raw and real for you to face in one sitting. A book that punches you in the stomach, reaches in, grabs your insides and squeezes and twists until you want to throw up a little from the emotional upheaval you are facing.
This was that book for me.
Content warnings for: mentions of rape, torture, murder, slut shaming.
(I am probably missing a few, and for that, I am sorry.)
The cover of the copy I have states that this is a book that every teen girl needs to read. I agree. I also think this is a book that everyone needs to read. It is uncomfortable and raw, and it highlights things that every woman has faced in her life - the misogyny in their lives, the societal expectations, the pressures, and the unfairness of it all.
The novel shows two parallel storylines - that of Anna, and 400 years before her, that of Maggie. Both these girls face hardships that are very similar, and the thing that struck me most was that for all our progress, in a lot of ways, nothing has changed for women.
The author used different tenses and voices for the two storylines, and it made the read very atmospheric. It worked surprisingly well, something I honestly did not expect the first time we switched point of views.
I don’t know if I will read this book again - it was super intense and made me feel a roller coaster of emotions - but it is a very necessary story, and I know I’m going to keep the copy for my daughter to read when she’s older.
*EDITED*
I received this copy in exchange for an honest review from Definitely Books (Pansing). All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you Pansing!
This book is available where all good books are.
Have you ever read a book that you have to keep putting down because it hits you too hard? Even though you have never experienced the exact events taking place in the book, the emotions feel too raw and real for you to face in one sitting. A book that punches you in the stomach, reaches in, grabs your insides and squeezes and twists until you want to throw up a little from the emotional upheaval you are facing.
This was that book for me.
Content warnings for: mentions of rape, torture, murder, slut shaming.
(I am probably missing a few, and for that, I am sorry.)
The cover of the copy I have states that this is a book that every teen girl needs to read. I agree. I also think this is a book that everyone needs to read. It is uncomfortable and raw, and it highlights things that every woman has faced in her life - the misogyny in their lives, the societal expectations, the pressures, and the unfairness of it all.
The novel shows two parallel storylines - that of Anna, and 400 years before her, that of Maggie. Both these girls face hardships that are very similar, and the thing that struck me most was that for all our progress, in a lot of ways, nothing has changed for women.
The author used different tenses and voices for the two storylines, and it made the read very atmospheric. It worked surprisingly well, something I honestly did not expect the first time we switched point of views.
I don’t know if I will read this book again - it was super intense and made me feel a roller coaster of emotions - but it is a very necessary story, and I know I’m going to keep the copy for my daughter to read when she’s older.
donna6146's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laurenkara's review against another edition
5.0
cw: rape, sexual assault, homophobic slurs, misogyny, slut shaming, abortion, revenge porn
"we are the granddaughters of the witches you burned.
and we're not putting up with it anymore."
this was such a hard book to read. it made me so angry and upset. i can't even imagine how many girls and women have to go through this and how victims are blamed and shamed whilst the abusers get away with it. the fact that women, myself included, have said: "well, it wasn't that bad was it?" when we're victimised.
this book was so important and i honestly think it should be taught in schools because of the issues it discusses. i especially like how the message about social media wasn't that it was bad but instead how bad social media sites are with taking down hurtful and harmful posts?
i really liked how there was an almost fabulist element to this with maggie's story intertwining with anna's. i found it really interesting to learn in laura bates acknowledgements that maggie was actually a real person. the fact that women have gone through such trauma since our existence for simply EXISTING is so upsetting. there was an underlying message of hope in this book though. that women are reclaiming power and have a voice. i love that bates included a number of resources for people going through any of these issues as well as a list of conversation starters for a classroom situation.
if you can handle the dark subject matter i can't recommend this enough.
and we're not putting up with it anymore."
this was such a hard book to read. it made me so angry and upset. i can't even imagine how many girls and women have to go through this and how victims are blamed and shamed whilst the abusers get away with it. the fact that women, myself included, have said: "well, it wasn't that bad was it?" when we're victimised.
this book was so important and i honestly think it should be taught in schools because of the issues it discusses. i especially like how the message about social media wasn't that it was bad but instead how bad social media sites are with taking down hurtful and harmful posts?
i really liked how there was an almost fabulist element to this with maggie's story intertwining with anna's. i found it really interesting to learn in laura bates acknowledgements that maggie was actually a real person. the fact that women have gone through such trauma since our existence for simply EXISTING is so upsetting. there was an underlying message of hope in this book though. that women are reclaiming power and have a voice. i love that bates included a number of resources for people going through any of these issues as well as a list of conversation starters for a classroom situation.
if you can handle the dark subject matter i can't recommend this enough.
lottie1803's review
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
marvelreader34's review against another edition
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kleonard's review against another edition
2.0
In this YA novel, a young woman who has had her nude photos shared throughout a student body relocates with her mother to a small. Town, hoping to start fresh. But of course her past catches up with her, and she has to deal with new harassment. This takes up the bulk of the book, which is too bad, because if the act of resistance the protagonist does at the very end of the book had come earlier, the author could have focused on strategies for pushing back against such bullying. The protagonist and her mother—who is an incredibly naive and inattentive parent—need a lot of therapy, and while the author provides links to anti bullying resources at the end of the novel, none of those actually appear in the book, which is a terrible missed opportunity. A structure and approach that focused more on combating the problem, instead of reveling in the kinds of messages harassers send and what they do, would have resulted in stronger characters and a stronger book overall. A side plot about a historical figure in the protagonist’s new town is okay but not really compelling.