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Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Bruised by Tanya Boteju

70 reviews

hopeful sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Characters: 7
Atmosphere: 6
Writing: 8
Plot: 7
Intrigue: 6
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 7

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Because of the self harm and the MC is kind of sexist.

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emotional sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

This was a quick read, and it was cute despite the heavy topics it dealt with. I loved how the author was able to tie everything into one another and not make it too cluttered. I was afraid Priam and Vicki would be too annoying for me, but they weren't in the book that often or that unbearable when they were in the book so that was a relief.

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challenging emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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emotional fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

A YA roller derby story that isn’t “cute.” 

This book is a dark depiction of grief and self injury and the journey to healthy outlets after severe loss. Daya is a jerk sometimes, but as someone who was a depressed teenager, her behavior makes sense. 

I didn’t love the depiction of roller derby as a player of over a decade. It seemed the author understood the game but not the community and focused a lot on the tropes of a full contact sport (lots of how Daya behaves would have NEVER been considered ok) and the hyper-sexualized femininity associated with the image of the sport but not the reality. The other players and derby community having more depth would have really contributed to the growth arc of the book. 

Overall a decent read that’s accessible and poignant for young adult audiences. If you love roller derby, check out Gabe Montesanti’s Brace for Impact for a more accurate depiction of the derby community. 

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