Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

287 reviews

alex_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

_tabby_'s review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book
I bought it in 2021 but I only recently had the time to get round to reading it and wow I've been missing out. I originally picked it up because I saw a review where someone had called it "the female American psycho" and at first I was very confused why it was given that title because the only thing they had in common was nudity BUT THEN OMG I UNDERSTOOD WHY THEY COMPARED THE TWO
The unreliable narrator and her unreliable (maybe fake) memories? Delicious
Clark does an excellent job ramping up the danger throughout the book and hiding secrets from us before revealing them in due time
There were quite a few twists in this book that I did not expect at all and my jaw was dropped and I audibly gasped a considerable amount of times
While the writing isn't difficult or complex and it's quite an easy read, Clark still manages to create several layers to a story that is deceptively simple at the beginning.
This book has heavily inspired me which is why I gave it such a high rating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cursing, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol, Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, and Vomit

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Animal death, and Rape

Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Cancer

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

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

fujo_cat's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-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

4.25

Full review here: https://fujoreads.tumblr.com/post/744584555725488128/boy-parts-by-eliza-clark

This book gave me a lot to talk about, but if I had to summarise it: this is a deep dive into an exasperated woman’s mind and how trauma can shape your whole thinking. The writing is crude and realistic but jaded and there’s a lot of themes to make us reflect on various issues. 

Personally, I love flawed protagonists and cast, so this was a great read for me, even if heavy at times. It’s one of those reads that made me stay a bit too late reading, so definitely a page-turner! 

If you don’t enjoy unlikeable characters or crude ways of showing heavy issues, I wouldn’t recommend this. You’ll just have a bad time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Homophobia

char_a_lot_te's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

What the actual fuck.

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.

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Content Warnings

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

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

sydneythekydneybean'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

3.25

Listen... when you pen this as "american psycho for hot girls," I expect "american psycho for hot girls." And it did fulfill that for about the first half. Irinia is so unreliable, messy, manipulative, and overall fucked-up; and hey, I love reading about messy bitches sometimes, but as soon as she stops hyper-focusing on her man-hating/loving photography and starts calling everyone ever a size 2 fat and dumpy, and is constantly thinking about carbs and her weight and blah blah blah, you do start to lose me.

The synopsis of Boy Parts says that Irina goes into a tailspin after she is asked to be a part of an exhibition and that tailspin centers around Irina’s relationship with her obsessive best friend, Flo, and Eddie from Tesco who has attracted her attention. Now, after reading that, I was expecting a lot of interaction between Irina and Flo, and Irina and Eddie. I expected to witness Irina's and Flo's toxic, unhealthy relationship bumped up to 1000. I expected Irinia to become bloodthirsty for the seemingly innocent, insecure, "perfect for the picking" Eddie. I expected violence, sex, manipulation, and like Black Swan levels of obsession. Irina's unpredictable, we don't know how much of her memory we can trust, and I wanted the book to almost gaslight me, as the reader, into believing shit that didn't happen because that's how Irina remembers it. And unfortunately, Boy Parts just didn't live up to my expectations.

I love this book's genre more than I love this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Murder, Drug use, Sexual content, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Rape, Alcohol, Self harm, and Sexual assault