Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll

76 reviews

pandagravy's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia

emberjune's review

dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really good final line that ties back into the story. I like the idea that nature is both restorative and holds memory. Themes of family struggles were relatable for myself as a southern queer AFAB person. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Forced institutionalization

beetdirt's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia and Pedophilia

Minor: Eating disorder

quinnjuliac's review

challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

2.5

This book was really unusual. I couldn’t get a handle on the characters or feel like I got to know them. It seemed like they were intentionally created to be very unpredictable as kind of a “gotcha” to say something about the way we see women as a monolith. I think this may have been partly because the voices of the characters were a bit anachronistic in my opinion — like if a woman today were living in the 70s. The views and ideas of Ruth and especially Pamela would be HIGHLY radical if a woman in the 70s had possessed them, but I don’t think the characters were meant to be highly radical. Tina was obviously portrayed as highly progressive and radical, but for the other two it just didn’t quite fit. 

It’s an interesting story and I appreciated the themes that came up of gender,  and the impact of our past. But ultimately the book kind of left me feeling like - what was the point of that? There was a lot of kind of bizarre detail that didn’t seem to add much. It was definitely unpredictable and a quick read, good for the beach I think!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

calicos's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia and Misogyny

Minor: Forced institutionalization

anevamarie's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Lesbophobia

mangofraiche's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Eating disorder, Incest, and Pandemic/Epidemic

feelincelestial's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Bright Young Women successfully pulled me out of a reading slump. It’s very engaging and well paced. There are a fair amount of side plots and a heavy focus of character development, which I enjoyed. Some of the storylines and details seemed superfluous to me, but I loved the characters and the focus on the women whose stories are often undercut by the tragedy of their final moments in the true crime world. Though the MCs are fictionalized, their plights are relatable and their personalities strong enough to completely pull the focus away from ‘The Defendant’.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Lesbophobia

erinjeanette's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Death of parent

hjb_128's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol