Scan barcode
scottsland_yard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
SPOILER AHEAD!!
The ending really upset me and I don't think in the way the author intended. While it was very poetic and intense, creating a huge tension that just ramped up and up toward the last page, I feel like the ending didn't justify the means. While ostensibly a story about murder and passion and rage, it was also obviously a story about love and self discovery. I think having the main character be bi-sexual and technically in a relationship with both Meredith and James (in a way) was really smart story telling to showcase the difficulty he feels in trying to figure out who he is, not only as an actor, but as a lover. What I didn't appreciate (and it's not really Rio's fault so much as it's a tired and hurtful trope shares by many authors) is that the majority of stories that feature a gay couple require that they go through torturous and heart-wrenching levels of trauma in order to move the story along. As a gay man, reading the tension between Oliver and James over and over with little to now pay off didn't feel exciting, it felt like torture. I was being led along like a horse with a carrot, the promise of the possibility of Oliver and James professing their feelings for each other or ending up together, only to constantly be whipped with sex scenes with Meredith and violence with Richard. In the end, when you think Oliver might finally get yo be happy with James, we're slapped in the face with the blunt honesty of Phillipa letting us know that James killed himself after not being able to bare the weight of the guilt of killing Richard (in self defense, btw) and his lover taking the blame for it. So Oliver once again ends up with Meredith and I was left furious. And the last page does little to bandage those wounds.
I was left feeling empty, tense beyond belief, and with a heavy pit in my stomach. While the story was very good and the book was extremely well written, I am sick of this trope. I'm sick of gay characters being used as the martyrs in stories or being included only to drive the trauma train. (OH, also include the only canonically gay character overdosing and almost dying too)
I yearn for stories of gay couples/characters that include all the tense will-they-won't-they that straight romances have, but for once, I'd like them to actually end up together. I've learned this is not the book for that.
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Hate crime, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Violence, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Drug use, Cursing, Bullying, Addiction, Medical content, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism
channamason's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Vomit, and Suicide
Moderate: Misogyny
booksandcat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Misogyny, Death, and Sexism
aquariusvintage's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Gaslighting, Biphobia, Bullying, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, and Suicide
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Suicide, Death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Vomit, Bullying, Outing, Blood, Eating disorder, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Biphobia
savyyroberts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, Suicide, Violence, and Misogyny
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Vomit and Homophobia
book_slay'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
Graphic: Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Alcohol, Biphobia, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Violence, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Murder
rinku's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Addiction, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Suicide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Eating disorder and Vomit
jelliestars's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Death, Physical abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Drug abuse, Grief, Infidelity, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Cursing, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, and Sexual harassment
chloebrown13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcohol and Murder
Moderate: Blood, Misogyny, Bullying, and Drug use
Minor: Suicide