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friends2lovers's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- 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
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Biphobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Cursing, Homophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
queen21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Child abuse, Mental illness, Death, Bullying, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual harassment, Child death, Blood, and Homophobia
Minor: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Rape, and Drug use
wilder's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- 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
2 / 5
TW: mentions of SA in this review.
Honestly, I should’ve DNF’d this book. It was not good - I just can’t bring myself to DNF books a lot of the time. Well, now that I’ve finished it, I have to see it through to the end of the sequel and read another 400 pages of this Wattpad-esque angst. Because unfortunately, that’s how my brain works - I need to see everything to it’s end, even train wrecks.
Follow the River by C.E. Ricci was kind of all over the place. After just reading Don’t You Dare by the same author, I had decently high hopes going into this one - especially after seeing some hype for this duology. However, the characters were sooo wishy washy for most of the book. They both are wildly unlikable for reasons that were not on purpose. Intentional angst and toxicity aside, these two were just damn near unredeemable characters who never faced consequences for their actions & we are expected to root for them.
Spoilery thoughts ahead but PLEASE see trigger warnings if you are someone who needs them.
I’m a big supporter of “write whatever you want” and this absolutely applies here too. However, you have to take SOME care with what you’re writing when publishing it to the masses. I don’t like how certain themes of SA were portrayed here and then forgiven almost immediately or glossed over, then in the literal next sentence the characters talk about deeply traumatic child SA. Then have sex. I just… it didn’t feel like anything was handled with care, and it’s very hard not to compare how it was handled here against a book like A Little Life or even All for the Game (didn’t think I’d be comparing those two in my lifetime…). One main character sexually assaults the other and never apologizes or feels regret. The other brutally rapes the first and that barely causes ripples in their relationship in the long run. Again - write what you want, it isn’t the acts in the fiction that bothers me, it’s how the rest of the story shapes around the acts that does.
I guess the best thing I got out of reading this was seeing how C.E. Ricci has improved between this book and her newest release, Don’t You Dare. I enjoyed her writing in that book, and will likely keep trying to pick up her works but this one was a disappointment. Hopefully the sequel is better?
TW: mentions of SA in this review.
Honestly, I should’ve DNF’d this book. It was not good - I just can’t bring myself to DNF books a lot of the time. Well, now that I’ve finished it, I have to see it through to the end of the sequel and read another 400 pages of this Wattpad-esque angst. Because unfortunately, that’s how my brain works - I need to see everything to it’s end, even train wrecks.
Follow the River by C.E. Ricci was kind of all over the place. After just reading Don’t You Dare by the same author, I had decently high hopes going into this one - especially after seeing some hype for this duology. However, the characters were sooo wishy washy for most of the book. They both are wildly unlikable for reasons that were not on purpose. Intentional angst and toxicity aside, these two were just damn near unredeemable characters who never faced consequences for their actions & we are expected to root for them.
Spoilery thoughts ahead but PLEASE see trigger warnings if you are someone who needs them.
I guess the best thing I got out of reading this was seeing how C.E. Ricci has improved between this book and her newest release, Don’t You Dare. I enjoyed her writing in that book, and will likely keep trying to pick up her works but this one was a disappointment. Hopefully the sequel is better?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Sexual assault
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