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kalchainein's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Homophobia
nisanatreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
The book contains stories of an American living in Sofia, Bulgaria, as a teacher for bilingual high schoolers. They all center around his queerness but highlight different aspects. There are stories that tackle his relationships with his students, his mentoring of queer youth and the responsibility he feels to make them feel understood and seen. Then there are stories that are hard to stomach (that in my opinion should've had trigger warnings!) because they showcase BDSM sex scenes that have nothing in common with what's depicted in popular culture today. But they're also psychological and deeply interesting to read because of the shifting dynamics between the men and cultures.
My favourite parts were whenever his boyfriend from Portugal came up because it felt uneasy but also like a whirlwind romance all at once. It made me appreciate how well Greenwell writes emotional turmoil. ❤️🩹
I have to admit that I know next to nothing about Bulgaria and Bulgarians. This novel makes a wonderful case of one day visiting. Obviously the political landscape is not what draws me in but rather the depiction of how politics and recent history have shaped this country and its people.
Find me on Instagram @nisanatreads
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
pdedgar's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Vomit and War
jarred's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual violence
remimicha's review
I’m alarmed at the number of reviews that refer to a rape scene as a sex scene. If you are a survivor of trauma please tread with extreme caution. The content warnings I placed under explicit/graphic were entered intentionally. As I only made it to the end of the second chapter this is not an exhaustive list. I’ve included more information as a spoiler using specific lines from the book. 0/10 absolutely did not finish.
Content warnings not included in the options:
Homophobic slurs, degradation, urine, victim blaming
Graphic: Excrement, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Torture, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Body shaming, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
orireading's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Homophobia, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
savvylit's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
The most powerful aspect of this story is the skillful writing. Greenwell's prose is evocative, haunting, and artful. The atmosphere of melancholia and loneliness that he has created in the pages of Cleanness is so palpable.
Another strength of this book was how readers learn the most about the narrator through his encounters with lovers, students, and colleagues. Cleanness reminded me of Rachel Cusk's Outline in that way. Oftentimes, more detail is given about the secondary characters than our narrator.
It is also worth noting that Cleanness is incredibly sexually explicit and often erotic. Greenwell frankly details every moment of the narrator's intimate encounters down to every move made and every word said. I'm not sure I've ever experienced that same level of candor anywhere else in literature.
Where this book did not work for me, though, was in the disjointed structure of the narrative. I am all for nonlinear narratives, but in this case, I found my interest waning between standalone vignettes. That's what ultimately influenced me to put this book at 3.5 stars instead of 4.
As a final note, please check the content warnings before reading Cleanness. I made the mistake of not doing that myself and was completely thrown and jarred by a very brutal scene early on in the book.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, and Homophobia
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Cursing, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcohol
moneyispizza's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual violence
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Alcohol
sarahdahlia's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence