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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, and Rape
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
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