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caroisreading'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Penance" focuses on the perspectives of four teen girls, schoolmates at a small coastal town in England. They are, at varying degrees, involved in the gruesome demise of Joni, a fellow student in their class.
The layer on top of this plot is that we are reading the POV of a fictional author who has interviewed the characters and researched Joni's case. He's an unreliable narrator to say the least. It's Inception-y, and lets us sit at a distance from the horror, like a sobering buffer.
With this in mind, Clark plays with our sense of what is real and what is not. I found myself Googling events that were completely fictional, though there are references to real platforms, psychopaths, books and a school shooting. This disorients you as a reader, and mimics the delusion and untruthiness taking place with the characters, and true crime in general.
What definitely feels real are the Tumblr posts, and the fangirls who idolize and fictionalize mass murderers. Clark spends a lot of time illustrating this world, and we sit in the discomfort for a while. It's a paradoxically naive and dark place.
I should add, the author purposefully avoids going into specifics of what these characters physically do to Joni
After assessing the TWs, I recommend this book as dark, brutal, engaging read with the most well-crafted characters I've ever come across. Keep reminding yourself it's fiction, but not really.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Eating disorder, Incest, Death of parent, Homophobia, Gore, Rape, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Vomit
sophie______a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Torture, Body shaming, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Sexual content, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Physical abuse, Grief, Self harm, and Classism
bionicfox666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Self harm, Violence, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Rape, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Mass/school shootings
kitfkat'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
4.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Torture, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Addiction
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Dementia, Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Abortion, and Xenophobia
bethsreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Misogyny, Drug use, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Lesbophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicide, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Animal cruelty, Body horror, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Eating disorder and Vomit
aquariusvintage's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, and Homophobia
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse
keiydra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Suicide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Torture and Pedophilia
Minor: Racism
chronicacademia's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Adding a content warning for necrophilia as well as the content warnings listed below.
Graphic: Classism, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racism, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Gore, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Incest, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, and Medical content
katndrsn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Murder, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Pedophilia, Torture, Misogyny, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Vomit, Lesbophobia, Drug use, and Religious bigotry