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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It definitely kept me interested but at the end I just thought….meh. Trauma porn, really. Trigger warnings for eating disorders, gun violence, SA, etc
2.5
hmmm. i’m glad i ended up sticking with this and not giving up on it, but BOY did it take a long time to get there.
i think the bare bones, basic story that is being told here is really compelling and really interesting. however, the author’s writing style, the framing of the story, and what she chooses to talk about don’t totally work for me.
i didn’t like ani at all in the beginning of the book. i knew she had gone through some shit, but she was also really fucking elitist and classist, and just plain mean. it was hard to find anything redeeming about her. but by the end, i feel the opposite and i understand so much more of her.
i just really don’t like that it took that long for me to feel that way. i like that ani finally gets some closure at the end of the book and she’s finally beginning her healing journey, but i was wanting more from her and i’m struggling to verbalize why. i guess maybe i was wanting more of a reflection of why she felt the need to adapt such an elitist attitude, when she was only after a certain lifestyle. could she not have had the dream lifestyle that she thought would protect her AND still been a decent person? her desire to fit in extended all the way back to her time at bradley; has she always had this extreme desire, and if so, why? does she still have this desire after ending her engagement and if so, how has it changed?
i do think there was some interesting ideas in the book, but i just really didn’t enjoy the way the author chose to write about them. there could have been so many more explorations of trauma, the ethics of true crime, discussions of consent, etc. but there just wasn’t. and so much of ani’s personal struggles, for example her eating disorder(s?), never felt like they were discussed with any sort of purpose. i guess i feel like i’m reading a series of events from a very complicated person’s perspective, but it never focuses on what i want it to and it doesn’t provide any or enough introspection for me.
i am glad that i stuck with it and finished it, i just feel disappointed with what could have been done with this book.
hmmm. i’m glad i ended up sticking with this and not giving up on it, but BOY did it take a long time to get there.
i think the bare bones, basic story that is being told here is really compelling and really interesting. however, the author’s writing style, the framing of the story, and what she chooses to talk about don’t totally work for me.
i didn’t like ani at all in the beginning of the book. i knew she had gone through some shit, but she was also really fucking elitist and classist, and just plain mean. it was hard to find anything redeeming about her. but by the end, i feel the opposite and i understand so much more of her.
i just really don’t like that it took that long for me to feel that way. i like that ani finally gets some closure at the end of the book and she’s finally beginning her healing journey, but i was wanting more from her and i’m struggling to verbalize why. i guess maybe i was wanting more of a reflection of why she felt the need to adapt such an elitist attitude, when she was only after a certain lifestyle. could she not have had the dream lifestyle that she thought would protect her AND still been a decent person? her desire to fit in extended all the way back to her time at bradley; has she always had this extreme desire, and if so, why? does she still have this desire after ending her engagement and if so, how has it changed?
i do think there was some interesting ideas in the book, but i just really didn’t enjoy the way the author chose to write about them. there could have been so many more explorations of trauma, the ethics of true crime, discussions of consent, etc. but there just wasn’t. and so much of ani’s personal struggles, for example her eating disorder(s?), never felt like they were discussed with any sort of purpose. i guess i feel like i’m reading a series of events from a very complicated person’s perspective, but it never focuses on what i want it to and it doesn’t provide any or enough introspection for me.
i am glad that i stuck with it and finished it, i just feel disappointed with what could have been done with this book.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This book has all the terrible things... rape... school shooting... food issues... S&M. It is like someone took all the current events and jammed them into one person's life. Meh.
I also think the title is lame.
I also think the title is lame.
If I wanted to watch an episode of Gossip Girl followed by an episode of RHONY followed by the Devil Wears Prada, I would. I don't. There is also some really problematic handling of sensitive topics but I'm too bored from reading this book to even bring myself to write more of a review.
Kept me interested to find out what happened but was a bit too long and
3.75
So this needed about a million trigger warning but came with none. Maybe I should have read a review or description beforehand. This was a ride and in every terrible way. If you don't want spoilers stop reading here. This book was horrible, wonderful writing but the material was darker than I could have imagined.
So if anyone needs me I will be flooding my system with chocolate and romcom books. Thanks
So this needed about a million trigger warning but came with none. Maybe I should have read a review or description beforehand. This was a ride and in every terrible way. If you don't want spoilers stop reading here. This book was horrible, wonderful writing but the material was darker than I could have imagined.
Spoiler
I felt for a majority of the book the incident was going to be about the gang rape. Little did I know it would get worse. This girl was 14. fourteen!!!! I don't think I knew about half of these things at 22. Then one of the gang rape boys decides he wants a little more. She has to take a trip to planned parenthood, get plan B, and traumatize her body even more. All to fit in/be liked. Well if that doesn't hurt your feelings enough, buckle up buttercup. She befriends a somewhat loner that is still part of the popular crowd. He stands up for her when she is bullied by a teacher and gets expelled. Oh so that part is not as bad? Well then he and the guy who left school a year prior after a suicide by cutting attempt plan revenge. They set up bombs, and carry guns, and basically hunt the people who bullied them. After surviving gang rape, assault, and a Columbine style horror she is told that she may be guilty. But the cherry on this messed up trauma sunday is that her now fiance can't believe she still has PTSD and basically tells her to get over it.Spoiler
Do Not Read if you have any type of anxiety. And, PLEASE,PLEASE,PLEASE read trigger warning because this book is heavy and dark and somewhat graphic.So if anyone needs me I will be flooding my system with chocolate and romcom books. Thanks
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes