Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Girls I've Been by Tess Sharpe

5 reviews

that_person_logan's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

I loved this. I thought it was poignant and beautiful and funny and emotional and devastating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Abortion, Body shaming, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, and Vomit

emmaciarciello's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Cursing, and Gun violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, and Pedophilia

Minor: Chronic illness and Abortion

ifoundcallie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

Wow! Loved this book. A few loose ends left me wondering why they were introduced in the first place like

Olive being their safe phrase—was it Lee’s first “girl” name? Grey cap being an ex-fed or some other info Lee said making him rage—why did we not get the robbers’ stories? The man who was shot—did he die?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Murder, Pedophilia, and Cursing

Minor: Chronic illness, Bullying, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Vomit, Rape, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Car accident

Most information about SA is discussed using coded phrases or intentionally vague references that the reader can fill the blanks in with. Sharpe did a good job of handling this tastefully while still not shying away from the reality and effects of such abuse

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

I really enjoyed this book about a girl who was forced to be anything but for her entire life. It was exciting and thrilling and dramatic and sad. A great YA thriller about a smart girl who finally becomes herself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Violence, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, Vomit, Bullying, Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

Moderate: Abortion

kell_xavi's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

A botched bank robbery turns into a hostage situation with Nora, her best friend (Wes), and her girlfriend (Iris) among the captured, which leads Nora to relive years of hiding and trauma in her childhood with a con artist (and psychologically abusive) mother. 

The pull of this book is not the past, but the healing process. Iris, Lee, and Wes are strong supports to Nora, and there are complex bonds across love, trust, lies, and truths that wind and unwind and twine together in the course of the book. There’s a a sense of reciprocity and symbiosis that Sharpe, the characters, and I, too, valued. 

The first two thirds spool out at a good pace as the three friends try to form a plan against two cruel men with guns and Nora recalls the first few long-cons she was bait in. The last third is harder to read and more dramatic as the violence increases in both timelines, and though I continued to care about the emotional core, the story is angsty and cluttered here in a way I didn’t like as much, though it resolved okay. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, and Vomit

Minor: Abortion, Cursing, Infidelity, and Gaslighting