Reviews with content warning for Car accident - Aesthetica

Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Aesthetica by Allie Rowbottom

7 reviews

laverna's review

2.75

challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

sarah984's review

1.0

emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very preachy and unpleasant writing, a lot of mean spirited railing against straw libfems the author imagines on Instagram. The #MeToo plotline is poorly integrated and resolves in a stupid, nothing way.

Content Warnings

stellahadz's review

4.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Aesthetica is both futuristic and deeply rooted in the present, which sounds contradictory but isn't really, given how quickly the landscape of social media changes and how trends, from clothing to makeup to body parts, seem to cycle every week. The book's premise is fascinating, and Rowbottom's prose is excellent. I'm usually wary of books that heavily reference social media or internet slang, because it immediately dates the text and runs the risk of making it obsolete within a few years. However, I think Aesthetica works because its themes (#MeToo, the dangers of social media fame, plastic surgery, and generational differences in approaches to feminism) are very timely, and the use of emojis, @ symbols, and slang actually drive the story rather than making it "cringe" as the kids say. I wonder how many articles, memoirs, and tell-all pieces we'll see in the next 10-15 years from people like the main character, Anna.

It took me some time to get into the story, and I wish the ending had provided a little more closure, but it was fantastically written and I loved how it explored important and relevant themes.

Content Warnings

toephia's review

4.0

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

wichbich's review against another edition

3.0

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Mom death

. This is a huge theme of the book that is not hinted at at all in the description so please proceed with caution as it could be quite triggering. I was not expecting to encounter this at all but I would say it encompasses the bulk of the story.

This was an interesting book with an interesting idea. I would say the experience of the narrator is very specific and I don't agree with her a lot of the time. That doesn't make her wrong but her voice is often sort of grandiose as she discusses ideas of universal morals so it does feel a but like being fed a worldview.

Overall this book feels like less of a narrative and more like a reflection on loss, trauma, and image in the midst of an attempt to realign oneself through even more trauma (and some light stalking).

Content Warnings