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krystims's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Drug abuse
Minor: Vomit
jocelynmeade_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Self harm, Pedophilia, Vomit, Car accident, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Body horror, Confinement, Violence, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Suicide, and Toxic relationship
nisha_111's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Medical content, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
torispringismywifetyvm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Rape, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Child abuse
bookishperseus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Addiction, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Gore, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Self harm, Hate crime, Medical content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Gaslighting
xabbeylongx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book has me speechless. Sobbing, on the floor. It has such raw content, and such deep meaning. I love it, it's one of my firm favourites of the year so far. However, it does discuss various different topics like TW suicide, self-harm, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, rape and sexual assault, so if you're not interested in reading about heavier topics, I wouldn't recommend this book, or this review, actually.
We follow Charlie as she's in an institution. Her best friend, Ellis, attempted to commit suicide, but it didn't kill her, merely took her mobility away from her. Her parents sent her away, and Charlie, being Ellis's best friend, doesn't want to live in a world without her. Her father had also, I think, passed away to suicide (drowned in a river) and her mother was so upset, and resorted to hitting Charlie. Charlie was hanging with the wrong people, doing drugs, and was sent to a house where she was going to be sold for sex. There was also a moment where her friends had to save her from being assaulted.
So in the institution, they monitor her all the time. There's nothing that can hurt them there, and there are a lot of people who use self-harm as a way to deal with everything happening to them. Charlie still feels quite alone there, and often its very overwhelming, and she only has bonds with one teacher, who they call Casper.
Charlie is being released from the institution, as she is doing well. Her mother comes to pick her up, and she is told to not drink, or do drugs, or smoke, or self-harm, and Casper - Bethany - gives Charlie her email. Her mother has no intention of looking after her, and her good friend, Mikey, who had a crush on Ellis when Charlie liked him, has offered his place to her. His landlord, Ariel, tells her she needs to get a job, and she does. She's a dishwasher at a place called Grit, where she meets Riley. She moves out to a really awful little flat, but it's the first thing she's ever owned herself, and she's proud.
Mikey leaves to go on tour with his band, and she finds out he has a girlfriend, who he then marries on tour. From then on, she ignores all his emails, as she still likes him a little bit. She feels that no one will love her, because she's 'damaged goods'.
Now, bearing in mind Charlie is seventeen, Riley is twenty-seven. She's attracted to him, as are most people in the village, but she quickly finds out he's a mess. Always drinking on shift, and asking her to do drug runs, and in return he gives her food.
A couple of weeks go by, and she shows him her scars, and he doesn't mind them. He's super nice to her - as groomers are, initially. They end up sleeping together, and she spends most nights around his. They hook up in Grit, although this is against her will, and they are spotted. Julia, the owner and Riley's brother, is astounded, but no one gets fired. They still see each other, although Charlie is starting to drown under his own bad habits.
Blue, a fellow institutioner, turns up and lives with her. She flirts with Riley, and she smokes and she drinks and she does drugs, and so does Charlie. She's circling the drain with him. One day, she goes to his house and she finds Blue there. She's doing meth, and has relapsed, and she says that Lousia, one of their friends, has set herself on fire, and hasn't made it. Charlie finds Riley hooking up with someone else, and throws her against the wall. When she gets back to the flat, it's trashed, and everything is stolen. She self-harms.
She wakes up to Linus and Tanner, her colleagues, taking her to Felix, their grandfather. He's an artist, and he lives in the remote countryside, and she learns a lot from his kindness.
Too soon it is time for them to return. She still has her job, but Riley was stealing money for drugs the whole time, and has been fired. Plus, he and Wendy, the hookup, got into a car crush, and he's now in male rehab. Blue says she will get clean if her and Charlie work together, so they both help each other. Felix offers her a job working for him, and she accepts it. In one last visit to Riley, who does a show for charity, he sings a song he wrote for her, which is his way of apologising to her. Then, she sets off on her own.
Wow. Reading this book was heavy, but reflecting on it is even heavier. So many important things were discussed and highlighted in this book, and it's refreshing not to read a book where everything is perfect. For one, I understood a lot of Charlie's mental struggles, and could relate a lot throughout this book. The idea of not being alone, but being alone is just hitting the hammer straight on the nail.
A few years ago, I would have thought that Riley did love Charlie. I was in the exact same mindset as her, and I would have said that his attention is better than nothing. Upon growing older, I realise he never loved her. At least, not in the way she wanted and deserved. Automatically, the age gap was a real red flag. Why would he think about someone so young, let alone actually go for them? I like Charlie's character arc though, how she turned her life around and had a better mental outlook. I freaking love Charlie so much, and I'm glad she found a happier ending in the end. I also have to admit, I did like Riley's redemption in the end. He's still not excused for literally everything that he did in the book, whether it be the, essentially, rape of Charlie and the fact he's, essentially, a paedophile - that makes him disgusting. Even after the redemption, I still don't like him. But I do like how it shows that people can change. Obviously, we only saw a snippet of him after rehab, so he could have gone rogue again, I think he went a few times anyway, but I'm glad they showed Charlie getting the apology she deserved.
PSA for anyone out there: times do get better. Take it from me! :)
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Self harm
Moderate: Rape, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
r4v3ncl4w_93's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Self harm, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
Minor: Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cancer, Excrement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Car accident
madszs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
annalola6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Drug abuse and Self harm
Minor: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Rape
thatbookbitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Trafficking
Moderate: Blood, Physical abuse, Excrement, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Abandonment, Cursing, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death, Eating disorder, and Pedophilia