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rsagarin's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Mental illness, Murder, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Homophobia, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts
nadia_ndco's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Grief, Drug use, Child abuse, Rape, Violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Child death, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
rmistry75's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Murder, and Rape
bookishchaos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Pregnancy and Rape
Moderate: Trafficking, Sexual assault, and Gun violence
Minor: Homophobia, Murder, and Suicide attempt
lindsaysofia_25's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
The chapters from Emily Vaughn's perspective offered a fascinating window into the mind of a teenager faced with incredible trauma and her manipulation by her group of "friends" and their charismatic leader. The dynamics of the group reminded me of The Secret History, with their performative intellectualism, enjoyment of psychedelics, and sexual tensions, but the murder of a member of the group much more tragic. I was struck by Slaughter's ability to make Emily's perspective seem so childish. The writing style felt adolescent, her gullibility and innocence as she processed what had happened to her was palpable, and the way she went about investigating it for herself was markedly childish. Emily seems like a kid trying to act like an adult as she emulates what she knows about how an investigation works, which is masterfully juxtaposed against the present-day investigation executed by the actual trained professionals.
As I read, I found myself grasping at straws, searching for characters I could latch on to as trusted allies of Andrea and Emily, but no one was safe. Yet, it was also hard to completely villainize most characters because of Slaughter's insistence on depicting their moments of kindness and the gender and class dynamics that drove many of their actions. This genre tends to depict good and evil more dichotomously than other adult genres, and even where the lines blur, authors often write such a character as having two sides. Instead, Slaughter forces readers to recognize that the best and worst qualities of a person are deeply interconnected, and often both spring from the same roots.
Returning to a point I mentioned in the first paragraph, a central theme of the novel is the patriarchal roots of the crimes committed against Emily Vaughn. Throughout the novel, Slaughter depicts many relationship dynamics inarguably shaped by gender and class relations, but the most obvious social commentary is the way the male characters talk to and about women. With the singular exception of Bible, the men in the story span a range of political opinions but are united by their violent misogyny. At many points in the story, we see characters like Clay speak of revolution and degrade women in the same breath. They are ideologically opposed to hierarchy, except in their desire to be worshipped by women.
I have so many more thoughts about this novel but they are more well-suited to an essay than a review, so I'll end my comments here. My final note is that if you're going to read it, you should check content warnings because it deals explicitly with very heavy topics.
Graphic: Violence and Medical trauma
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcoholism
miriyumi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? N/A
3.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Murder, and Eating disorder
gtbacola's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Bullying, Death, Murder, Drug use, and Sexual assault
paigemushaw's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Murder and Rape
mallorygoldsmith's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Eating disorder and Murder
Minor: Child abuse, Rape, and Domestic abuse
cinderulz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, and Homophobia
Moderate: Pregnancy and Rape