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woweewhoa's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I really enjoyed this book! I'm personally a big fan of stories about terrible people constantly stumbling against one another, and that what this book is. Irina is a complicated person, but she is also an Awful person and the first chapter of this book does a very very good job at situating it and making it clear. It is a very uncomfortable read though, and I would definitely take a look at the content warnings before picking this book up.
Also, and this might be a bit pejorative but I genuinely think it's well executed and a very good take on the ideas and how their adapted to suit this story, but it's like if the movie American Psycho was about a lower middle class English queer woman kink artist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm
Minor: Animal death and Antisemitism
james1star's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Wow, what on earth did I just read? This book is very strange and deranged, like honestly I’m having a proper full on crisis. I don’t know where to start with this review…
What is the plot? I still don’t really know but basically we follow the main character Irina who gets invited to showcase her photography at a gallery in London in a few months so she sets out looking through her archives. In doing so she thinks back to different times in her life. There’s also her just going about her days, partying, picking up boys to photograph, seeing friends and family and things. Irina has a penchant for photographing ‘average’ looking young men in different but primarily submissive, vulnerable positions. She wants to view them via a female gaze, be in charge and have power over them. I liked how the men were all different in how they looked, not the typical model aesthetic, and it was refreshing seeing males viewed in this light. There’s a point where the story just kinda turns real weird (even more so) and you’re left like proper wtf? Eyes flicking left to right. Super uncomfortable.
Whilst she’s reminiscing, past trauma comes to light and this book is jam packed, literally overflowing with trigger warnings, explicit depictions of drug abuse, sexual content, sexual assault, rape, injury details, cursing, perversion, adult/minor relationships, blood and gore, body horror, alcoholism and just so many more. So definitely not for the faint hearted, it gets super intense. I would also say that each are not explored in a good light or positively at all. It’s refreshing in the blunt and millennial I guess writing style and inclusion of such topics but I would by no means take what the characters say and do as a guide - if anything do the opposite. This was a very uncomfortable read but oh my it was extremely captivating, I read it in basically two sittings because you are hooked. The pages literally turn themselves, you’re so invested and intrigued and constantly questioning everything. I dunno defo a strange one - reminiscent of when I read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh and so is my next bit.
The characters. Oh my good lord above me was Irina so detestable!! Ahhh nope, ewww she was like the epitome of just horrible. She badmouths and doesn’t care about her friend Flo (she also talks about Irina on a blog and still has a crush on her which isn’t good but like nothing compared to how she’s treated) and the men she encounters. She’s super manipulative and doesn’t take people’s trauma into account, just using people as dispensable props in her story. She definitely thinks she ‘it’ reinforcing her good looks, skinniness, big breasts and how aesthetically pleasing she apparently is. This leads on to the disgusting fatphobia she spews and omfg it’s horrible to read at times. There’s also a subtle racist and paedophilic rhetoric at times. I’m not done here but she is so misandristic like she definitely views men as lesser, a play thing, her property - this is super refreshing but it’s still not nice. My defence of Irina: she was groomed and abused when younger, has dealt with past trauma, extremely likely someone dealing with an undiagnosed mental health problem and addiction to drugs and alcohol so many of the things she does/says/thinks are not dismissible but there are underlying factors and causes for some - I think. It’s not explicitly stated but you need to really not be paying attention to not consider this. Whilst she is disgusting and depraved, hence very unloveable, Irina is by far the most developed and complex character and this exploration is another factor keeping you hooked to read on. Flo was alrightish, I dunno to be honest. She was wronged and caught between Irina and her boyfriend but she didn’t really do much to help herself, accosted mistreat and Yhh did some things that were not good. Our FTM trans character, Finch, was a great addition but I did want more development of his character because there’s little we actually know. Eddie from Tesco was kinda adorable I think. He was super under appreciated, used and abused by Irina and just I felt so bad for him. He did have an objectification outlook at times and whilst it’s not okay he was by far the most likeable and I desperately wanted good things to come his way. Most of the other characters we come across are slightly developed and heavily unlikable.
The writing was good. I liked the blunt, witty and straightforward way it was written, it’s very real, characters and places are brought to life. As stated, it’s difficult and uncomfortable to read but is very readable. I would say there is maybe an overuse of italics softening their impact at times. I did like the inclusion of texts and emails and the various forms of dialogue again adding realism. The UK specificness was an added bonus too like shops such as Tesco, Waitrose and British Heart Foundation, place names, universities and just a lot that was very much appreciated. The formatting and how the story develops is mostly good, but it does take a few tangents and spiralling moments - maybe to emphasise Irina’s deteriorating mental health and sanity - which picks up towards the end. The pacing is fast which again forces you to read on, it’s enjoyable and despite being so quick you still pick up on all the plot points.
Overall, I am very conflicted on this book. It fully captivated me, certainly a refreshing story with complex characters. But… it was an uncomfortable read, the many trauma and TW topics are not explored well and Yhh it’s a strange, depraved tale.
What is the plot? I still don’t really know but basically we follow the main character Irina who gets invited to showcase her photography at a gallery in London in a few months so she sets out looking through her archives. In doing so she thinks back to different times in her life. There’s also her just going about her days, partying, picking up boys to photograph, seeing friends and family and things. Irina has a penchant for photographing ‘average’ looking young men in different but primarily submissive, vulnerable positions. She wants to view them via a female gaze, be in charge and have power over them. I liked how the men were all different in how they looked, not the typical model aesthetic, and it was refreshing seeing males viewed in this light. There’s a point where the story just kinda turns real weird (even more so) and you’re left like proper wtf? Eyes flicking left to right. Super uncomfortable.
Whilst she’s reminiscing, past trauma comes to light and this book is jam packed, literally overflowing with trigger warnings, explicit depictions of drug abuse, sexual content, sexual assault, rape, injury details, cursing, perversion, adult/minor relationships, blood and gore, body horror, alcoholism and just so many more. So definitely not for the faint hearted, it gets super intense. I would also say that each are not explored in a good light or positively at all. It’s refreshing in the blunt and millennial I guess writing style and inclusion of such topics but I would by no means take what the characters say and do as a guide - if anything do the opposite. This was a very uncomfortable read but oh my it was extremely captivating, I read it in basically two sittings because you are hooked. The pages literally turn themselves, you’re so invested and intrigued and constantly questioning everything. I dunno defo a strange one - reminiscent of when I read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh and so is my next bit.
The characters. Oh my good lord above me was Irina so detestable!! Ahhh nope, ewww she was like the epitome of just horrible. She badmouths and doesn’t care about her friend Flo (she also talks about Irina on a blog and still has a crush on her which isn’t good but like nothing compared to how she’s treated) and the men she encounters. She’s super manipulative and doesn’t take people’s trauma into account, just using people as dispensable props in her story. She definitely thinks she ‘it’ reinforcing her good looks, skinniness, big breasts and how aesthetically pleasing she apparently is. This leads on to the disgusting fatphobia she spews and omfg it’s horrible to read at times. There’s also a subtle racist and paedophilic rhetoric at times. I’m not done here but she is so misandristic like she definitely views men as lesser, a play thing, her property - this is super refreshing but it’s still not nice. My defence of Irina: she was groomed and abused when younger, has dealt with past trauma, extremely likely someone dealing with an undiagnosed mental health problem and addiction to drugs and alcohol so many of the things she does/says/thinks are not dismissible but there are underlying factors and causes for some - I think. It’s not explicitly stated but you need to really not be paying attention to not consider this. Whilst she is disgusting and depraved, hence very unloveable, Irina is by far the most developed and complex character and this exploration is another factor keeping you hooked to read on. Flo was alrightish, I dunno to be honest. She was wronged and caught between Irina and her boyfriend but she didn’t really do much to help herself, accosted mistreat and Yhh did some things that were not good. Our FTM trans character, Finch, was a great addition but I did want more development of his character because there’s little we actually know. Eddie from Tesco was kinda adorable I think. He was super under appreciated, used and abused by Irina and just I felt so bad for him. He did have an objectification outlook at times and whilst it’s not okay he was by far the most likeable and I desperately wanted good things to come his way. Most of the other characters we come across are slightly developed and heavily unlikable.
The writing was good. I liked the blunt, witty and straightforward way it was written, it’s very real, characters and places are brought to life. As stated, it’s difficult and uncomfortable to read but is very readable. I would say there is maybe an overuse of italics softening their impact at times. I did like the inclusion of texts and emails and the various forms of dialogue again adding realism. The UK specificness was an added bonus too like shops such as Tesco, Waitrose and British Heart Foundation, place names, universities and just a lot that was very much appreciated. The formatting and how the story develops is mostly good, but it does take a few tangents and spiralling moments - maybe to emphasise Irina’s deteriorating mental health and sanity - which picks up towards the end. The pacing is fast which again forces you to read on, it’s enjoyable and despite being so quick you still pick up on all the plot points.
Overall, I am very conflicted on this book. It fully captivated me, certainly a refreshing story with complex characters. But… it was an uncomfortable read, the many trauma and TW topics are not explored well and Yhh it’s a strange, depraved tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Mental illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia, Gore, Self harm, Murder, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Addiction, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Eating disorder, Death, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
Minor: Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Antisemitism
asapphicandacat's review
challenging
dark
funny
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Antisemitism, Body horror, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Gaslighting, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Toxic relationship
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