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oliviapincin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Classism, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Child death, and Sexual harassment
hi_im_tate's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before.
The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.
The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.
The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got
Graphic: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This unsettling novel is about motherhood, daughterhood, girlhood, and feminine power. Ojeda crafts beautifully eerie sentences that are evocative to the point of being cinematic. The coven-like group of girls at the story's center is so deliciously unhinged in a way that only teenage girls can be. Their desire for agency and power is the driving factor in the disturbing choices that they make under Annelise's leadership.
All in all, Jawbone is quite the fever dream. I loved Ojeda's evocative style and discussions of female power & relationships. Ultimately, though, the inconsistent timeline interrupted the flow of this story for me. I don't always feel that books need linear timelines but, in this case, I think that Jawbone would have benefited greatly from that feature.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Torture, Confinement, Chronic illness, Body horror, Violence, and Sexual content
morebedsidebooks's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Minor: Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child death, Transphobia, and Racism
marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Torture, Stalking, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Bullying, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Religious bigotry