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trashbinfluencer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Racism, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual content, Blood, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Homophobia, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, and Gun violence
harmonj3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
There are multiple plots playing out and the ways they converged was well done. I also didn’t feel like the characters that were introduced that make up the other books in this series made things hard to follow
Graphic: Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Rape
Moderate: Stalking and Misogyny
her_eyes_flashed'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Abandonment, and Bullying
literaryintersections's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There are so many issues (the rape is extremely graphic, the fatphobia (internalized and external), the misogyny and sexism a lot of it from the main love interest 🥴🥴, the random remarks about the Deep South (like the comment about the football players being lined up like plantation slaves to their owner who has just died……). I mean I know this was the 90s but WHEW. But there are also things where SEP and s ahead of her time: support of queer and gay people, mentioning people with AIDs as being left behind with the main character working with them, befriending, donating. Like they are her friends not people she pities. The idea that women are more than just pure/madonna or bimbos. The idea that Black young men who are athletic are taken for their abilities but their intellects are completely disregarded and not fostered. Now is there some white saviorism in here? Sure. But again, I think a lot of it is a product of the 90s.
I love Phoebe. I used to love Dan in a nostalgic way. But yall he is a mess and needs to grovel and change in order to be good enough for her. And the jump scare of him messing with a 16 year old (he’s not it’s kinky games with his ex wife) really got me this time 😂😂.
Overall I think this book needs to be looked at as a reflection of the mess and problems of the 90s, but also as a book that really started the sports romance genre. And also SEP really is one of the early starters of a super messed up man who is problematic and misogynistic but just needs the love of a good woman to change him. Like the alpha man stuff started with her.
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence, Rape, and Homophobia
Minor: Racism