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shubunkin_reads'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? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Excrement, and Animal death
Minor: Homophobia and Adult/minor relationship
seawarrior's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Confinement, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Excrement, and Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Torture, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Classism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Death, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
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
paperknotbooks'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Body horror, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Excrement, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, and Eating disorder
rook13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Rated it 4 only bc the sexual aspect of the horror was sometimes a bit much (and with that in mind--tw for anyone for whom that may be an issue, including tw for sexual assault described rather graphically if not explicitly).
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Blood, Torture, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, and Incest
Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Rape
caitlynes91's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Body horror, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Excrement, and Self harm
cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If I had to quickly summarize this book I’d say it’s Heathers meets the Craft meets Psycho. It’s about mean girls and toxic friendships and obsession and madness.
This book places queer, female desire at its center as it explores the horrors of adolescence and aging, the thin line between pleasure and pain, and the many dualities of womanhood. It combines angst and madness in a way that cautions (strongly) against uncontrolled desire.
Jawbone is a truly disturbing book. Not just with its imagery (which can be downright gross) but also with the very composition of the prose. With each subordinate clause and parenthetical remark within parenthetical remark, the reader grows more and more uncomfortable and the foreboding and claustrophobic atmosphere intensifies.
This is Ojeda’s first book to be translated into English and all I can say is man, I can’t wait for more.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Kidnapping, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Excrement, and Sexism
Minor: Animal death
our_bookish_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Blood, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Confinement, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Gore, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Self harm, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Rape, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
cloroxcrew's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Excrement, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse