Scan barcode
isaarusilor's review
- 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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Body horror, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Vomit, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
stories_of_the_soul27's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Irina is unlikable and unreliable. She is cruel, unhinged and broken (?). She is powerful in the sense that she knows the screws she needs to tweak to get her ways. She picks up this average looking men and makes them feel desirable by clicking racy pictures of them. The whole power dynamics is so hypnotic. She is so controlling and manipulative of her subjects. They bow to her because she plays her part well. She knows how to dress, how to talk and exactly how to reply to keep everyone on the hook. She fishes the insecure ones and completely exploits and uses them. There’s certain kind of cruelness to her. She sneers when she hears her male contemporary getting awards and recognitions by photographing already sexy women models while Irina is building things literally from scratch with average looking men.
The jump between present and past was so smooth and the timing was rightly done. Her crazy actions completely threw me off sometimes. Irina does a lot of unjustified things. And she will continue to do so unless she has a massive breakdown or she is stopped. She was abused in her teenage years and the way her mother treats her to this day is another reason why Irina cannot be nice to anyone. Irina is mean and vile through to her core. She does not even spare strangers without acting against them even it is in small ways. She is obsessed with being skinny in the most unhealthy ways. She cannot let go of her girl best friend whom she just wrings and uses like a dishcloth.
Irina’s job is one which has also put her in harm’s way. Calling unknown men to her home to be photographed in a fetishised way her cost her security. Still she plowed on. Stupid or brave? A disparity definitely because if roles were reversed it is again women only who are in danger. Irina is also a regular drunk and addict. This has also lead to her safety issues. She knows this and yet she goes on with this lifestyle. She is self destructive. Either she believes that the worst has already happened to her or she believes that she won’t let the men (or patriarchal society) stop her from living her life the way she wants.
The books after second half goes on to becoming more dark and visceral. More of Irina’s unhinged actions are thrown a light upon. She asks a question at one point about how far she can take it before someone tells her to fuck off without trying to justify her actions. I think she is frustrated for not being taken seriously because she is a woman from a working class with a middle class upbringing. The world she is trying to venture into and life she wants to build for herself is one full of posh, upper class people. It is very far out of her reach.
I do believe our surroundings while growing up make us who we are. Part of Irina is because of that. But I also believe that we are our choices. So yes some part of Irina is crazy like a psycho. She simply likes violent shit and is always willing to take it a bit too far. Her choice of movies and what she does to her models is evidence of that. But yes she is a victim too.
I will reread this book again after a few years later and try to critically judge the themes then after reading a bit more of books in this genre.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Addiction, Body horror, Blood, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
editorgrrl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An unreliable narrator, she drops names, watches ultra violent films, and wishes she were a stone cold bitch rather than a plumber’s daughter who’s only working part time at a seedy bar so that her mam will continue to pay half her rent.
If you hate unlikable characters, this is not the book for you. I found it darkly humorous, and a little sad.
Graphic: Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, and Self harm
Minor: Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, and Animal cruelty
robbie_d94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse
Minor: Vomit
writeasiread's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Eating disorder, Blood, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Vomit
kibiiiariii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Grief, Rape, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
hades_hotline'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? It's complicated
1.25
Graphic: Rape, Murder, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gore, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Torture, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
beerxper's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Addiction, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Fatphobia, Body horror, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Self harm, Gore, Eating disorder, Animal death, Blood, and Gaslighting
michachi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Vomit, Classism, Gore, and Animal death
char_a_lot_te's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Scalding commentary on the role of art in our society and the current state of the patriarchy. Absolutely repulsive, don't read it unless you're mentally stable.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Blood, Murder, Rape, Torture, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Vomit
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity