Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

338 reviews

sweethibe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• 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

4.5

Therapy isn't enough, Irina needs a psych ward. I think I'm also in love

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Eating disorder, Death, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Domestic abuse

plxtoprojector's review against another edition

medium-paced

• 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

4.0

The pop culture references were terrible. Aside from that, this book was insane and beautiful- the way her narration progressively becomes more and more self-centered and cold really shows just how unreliable her point of view is. As I worked through the book it went from "oh she's a little strange" to "she should get some help" to "what the Fuck." Loved the characterization and exploration of gender and sexuality, especially the application of toxic "masculine" traits to a woman, who's then able to use her power to manipulate men. Photography as her medium also really adds to the power discrepancy between her and her models for reasons I don't fully know how to articulate because it's very late while I write this. 
Really disliked the way her eating disorder was approached. If you're not going to delve into something as complex as an ED beyond stereotypical, surface level definitions, don't write it at all. I think a lot of the insufferable writing choices are just that- insufferable, but they also are very appropriate for the protagonist.
I have so many thoughts I don't know how to explain- will definitely read again and annotate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm

Minor: Sexual assault and Eating disorder

scruffbucketragamuffin's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Body horror, Sexism, Alcoholism, Blood, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

beerxper's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

gewrgia_lightwood's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

This had a very slow start for me 
Yes I read it fairly quickly but idk what kept me coming back 

Irina was one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read. I know that’s the point but maybe I’m not that keen on reading unlikable characters. I was genuine annoyed (but that also works as a compliment for the story). 

My biggest issue was this whole “woke” agenda the book tried to radiate. She was thought of as a feminism yet never show anything close to solidarity among women. Also her discomfort in being called working class once, really shows her political agenda. Even her work in the sexualisation of men as a critic in the sexualisation of women felt very “white” feminism to me. 

Lastly her ED never being called out almost made it feel like it was romanticised (along with drugs). 

By the halfway point it started to pick up and by the end it was quite interesting this whole distortion of reality ngl. But at the end of the day it’s hard for me to really enjoy books I’m not attached to its characters. 

The writing was meh at its best 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Addiction

Moderate: Blood, Death, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Body shaming, Rape, Murder, Animal death, Bullying, and Self harm

Minor: Abortion and Classism

shadysands's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. It gave me American psycho vibes but with the gender roles reversed. Unreliable narrator where it is not sure what is real or not. Interesting to consider the lack of consequences she seemingly gets as a woman, where a man would be chastised. Brings in thrmes relating to power structures. A unique look into how traumas can transgress into adulthood- exploring female rage, sexuality and lack of true connection. Interesting view  of women as lacking real danger, and the comparisons made in the book to Ted Bundy likens to the idea of 'pretty privledge' as a cover.

Also interesting in the context of kink art and exploring the line between artistic expression and exploitation of subjects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Drug use, Murder, Rape, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Body horror, and Sexual content

kelbell's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

honestly scared the shite outta me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Rape, and Drug abuse

lunsbooks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Gore, Self harm, Animal death, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Xenophobia, Classism, Biphobia, and Cancer

nere's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

monday the 19th of february 2024

i’m going to start off by saying. if you get it you get it if you don’t you don’t if you know you know. either you get the vibe or you don’t get the vibe

i started reading right before bed and mentally i was like. let me just read the first page. and then i looked up and i was a quarter of my way through the book.

the writing style is incredibly engrossing. its very quip and readable but not without personality. it’s so easy to read. there’s almost something incredibly mundane about all of it. but you still want to keep reading to know what happens next. its so addictive thats all i can say. eliza clark is some sort of wizard.

the book follows irina, a professional photographer who is known for taking risque photos of men. there’s not really a need to know much else besides the fact you are reading a horror novel. be wary of trigger warnings if applicable

i’m not entirely settled on a rating I think 
I’ll need to sit on it a bit more but its definitely one I haven’t been able to stop thinking about which is always a sign of a winner.

“Do you like it rough? I think so. I think I must. Men are rough, aren’t they? Have I always had a taste for rough stuff, or did I acquire that? In the back of Lesley’s car, on the floor of a friend’s house, half-conscious with my underwear around my ankles? Was it my idea to have him hurt me, or did he just let me think it was? And that gets sewn into them young, doesn’t it? Violence.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Gore, Animal death, Blood, Rape, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Body shaming

Moderate: Torture and Classism

Minor: Biphobia and Cancer

unreality, dissociation, auditory/visual hallucinations

aubreyyy's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

This was disappointing. Irina is absolutely disgusting and this book lowkey made me nauseous. Irina is so disgustingly evil but there’s no point. Like I genuinely don’t get it and it just seems like the author wanted to write awful characters. I 100% believe that if a man wrote this it would’ve been canceled but because a woman wrote it it got all this praise as being edgy. The only way I could see this book being saved is if it’s marketed as horror but even then there’s just a lot of shock factor nonsense. Super disappointed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Self harm