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kiwichill'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
4.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Stalking, Gore, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Excrement, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Addiction, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gaslighting, Classism, and Confinement
Moderate: Medical content, Blood, Alcohol, and Drug use
Very graphic tale from the POV of a stalker obsessed with a girl after a brief encounter. I watched the series so I knew how this obsession takes over and leads to violence. There is nothing redeeming about the character Joe. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book, more like disturbed by its naturechuckielittle's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body shaming, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Stalking, and Torture
Moderate: Kidnapping, Addiction, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Mental illness, Infidelity, Self harm, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Gaslighting
phantomgecko's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Think of the whiniest, most foul-mouthed little incel you can, and that's this dude. Note how many times he refers to women as objects. How many times he reduces Beck to her sexual availability or genitals. How many times he misinterprets media to justify his actions. Also, lol at how judgmental he is about books. I think this is a more fun variation than being super judgmental about music or comics or video games.
Joe is seven layers of delusional, from thinking Beck is obsessed with him to awaiting the collapse of the internet so he can lord it over with his typewriters to thinking he ever helped anyone. However, some of what I thought he was making up at the beginning turned out to be close to the truth. Like how he says that Beck loves attention and is an exhibitionist. Still, I'd categorize him as an unreliable narrator.
Beck isn't a great person either. She has real issues and a way annoying personality. Joe's observation that she wants to be a writer more than she wants to write is spot on. Nevertheless, a victim is a victim whether or not they are "innocent" or you personally dislike them.
One of the book club questions at the end asked something along the lines of, "did you find yourself wishing Joe would be punished for his crimes or did you want him to get away with it?" And like... ?????????? If you found yourself sympathetic to Joe's self-imposed, imaginary, selfish plight, maybe you need help too?
I honestly cannot adequately express how despicable the main character is. I understand that that is the point. I feel dirty for reading this book, tbh, and I'm not continuing the series. Joe is too accurately written, and that's too depressing for me.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Confinement, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness
coco78337'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
2.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Confinement, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Car accident, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, and Sexual harassment
victaphone'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
2.25
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexism, Torture, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Stalking
Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Confinement, and Cursing
Minor: Fatphobia and Homophobia
anmariefweeks's review against another edition
5.0
Fun read.
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Suicide, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Toxic relationship
lord_morpheus's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Misogyny, Blood, Classism, Death, Sexual content, and Confinement
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, and Racism
jessw17'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
3.75
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Death, Bullying, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcohol, Car accident, Mental illness, and Torture
kr_gr'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexism, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit