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alyxandrathegr8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
However is set in a more realistic world with more realistic situations than in the secret history.
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Alcohol, and Body shaming
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
dom_brlw'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
3.75
Graphic: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, and Vomit
galena19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Grief, Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder, Drug use, Body shaming, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Vomit, Sexual content, and Homophobia
arbramirez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Bullying, Grief, Murder, Body shaming, Blood, and Body horror
scottsland_yard'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
SPOILER AHEAD!!
The ending really upset me and I don't think in the way the author intended. While it was very poetic and intense, creating a huge tension that just ramped up and up toward the last page, I feel like the ending didn't justify the means. While ostensibly a story about murder and passion and rage, it was also obviously a story about love and self discovery. I think having the main character be bi-sexual and technically in a relationship with both Meredith and James (in a way) was really smart story telling to showcase the difficulty he feels in trying to figure out who he is, not only as an actor, but as a lover. What I didn't appreciate (and it's not really Rio's fault so much as it's a tired and hurtful trope shares by many authors) is that the majority of stories that feature a gay couple require that they go through torturous and heart-wrenching levels of trauma in order to move the story along. As a gay man, reading the tension between Oliver and James over and over with little to now pay off didn't feel exciting, it felt like torture. I was being led along like a horse with a carrot, the promise of the possibility of Oliver and James professing their feelings for each other or ending up together, only to constantly be whipped with sex scenes with Meredith and violence with Richard. In the end, when you think Oliver might finally get yo be happy with James, we're slapped in the face with the blunt honesty of Phillipa letting us know that James killed himself after not being able to bare the weight of the guilt of killing Richard (in self defense, btw) and his lover taking the blame for it. So Oliver once again ends up with Meredith and I was left furious. And the last page does little to bandage those wounds.
I was left feeling empty, tense beyond belief, and with a heavy pit in my stomach. While the story was very good and the book was extremely well written, I am sick of this trope. I'm sick of gay characters being used as the martyrs in stories or being included only to drive the trauma train. (OH, also include the only canonically gay character overdosing and almost dying too)
I yearn for stories of gay couples/characters that include all the tense will-they-won't-they that straight romances have, but for once, I'd like them to actually end up together. I've learned this is not the book for that.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Hate crime, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Violence, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Drug use, Cursing, Bullying, Addiction, Medical content, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
lexnicole's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Physical abuse, Violence, Body shaming, Addiction, Death, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
star_oats's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Cursing, Eating disorder, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Toxic friendship
kazli'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Body shaming, Classism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Suicide, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
reemoony's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Addiction, Grief, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Violence
atlaslan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Alcohol, Body shaming, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug use, and Mental illness