Scan barcode
18soft_green's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
1.25
I’m spilling the beans. I’ll try to hide the spoilers but I think this book could have done better with the trigger warnings. And I think readers should actually get to know exactly what they’re getting into.
Okay, so when I put a hold on this book I knew it was an analogy for how there is no true consent under capitalism. That’s actually why I wanted to read it as I am a leftist. This book challenged me to say the least. It challenged my ethics and my boundaries and view lelfists. But not the way I think the author wanted, I think.
This book is pretty outspoken in that it will contain themes of rape. I wanted to read the story because I recognized that the author is a leftist and generally, of so I thought, leftists are pretty educated and thoughtful about topics like racism, feminism, and sexual assault/harassment. Before listening to this book I, as a writer, had the strong belief that there is no ethical reason for a book to contain a graphic rape scene. Maybe a scene where the sex doesn’t go as planned but when it comes to actual rape, you can tell a story where rape happens and include some details without writing the scene. I am open to being corrected or finding exceptions to the rule always. If you give me a better/more accurate perspective I will change my mind. That’s why I read this.
As a survivor of rape, repeated rape, I am knowledgeable and sensitive to this subject. I have been a support to friends, partners, and family who have suffered sexual assault/harassment and I’ve done a fuck-ton of research and personal healing. And I hate this book.
I put off writing a review for it for months because I was trying to find a more objective view of it. It hasn’t worked. As time passed I’ve only become more upset with it. It makes me angry.
Here’s my perspective: if you, as an author, need to process something personal and you best do that by putting it in a narrative, do it. I do this all the time because I’m a big thinker and sometimes giving my struggle to someone else (fictionally) and watching them process it helps me to see the situation in a new light and have grace for myself. So if this is what the author needed to do, awesome, I’m glad they’re processing their shit instead of keeping it locked up. But they should not have published it. I think a lot of people forget that oversharing isn’t just harmful to the person oversharing. The people that are getting this information they did not ask for are being harmed and not just because it makes them uncomfortable. It’s invasive! It takes energy to process they might have needed for other things. It forces them into a relationship dynamic they did not consent to. But wait, I didn’t have to read this book. I knew it was going to be challenging and could have put it down any time I wanted, right? Yes?
But it wasn’t just the tale that made this book shit. It was the characters, the plot, the way the rape was treated by the author. The author tries sympathizing with Alex, the abuser. I remember listening to Alex’s pov and wondering if the author was trying to convince me that rich abusers are just people doing the best they can. I was listening, and thinking, wait, you don’t think this is legit real do you? Rich people don’t think this way. Rapists don’t think this way. And even if they did, Alex’s actions still caused harm and they aren’t going to be absolved because he regrets it and apologized. He’s still guilty. Elijah, in my opinion, is fucking annoying. I think it’s just his personality that clashed with mine. What happened to him is unforgivable and his emotional response to it makes psychological sense and, I think, is fitting to his personality. What I hate more than anything is how the story is set up like Alex and Elijah are meant to be together. You can’t come back from abuse like that. Ever. You are, for life, changed and your relationship dynamic is completely destroyed. Even with therapy and boundaries and working to become better people. Your love for each other is tainted, you can’t start fresh because that harm changes who you are permanently and affects all of your relationships not to mention the one which gave you that trauma in the first place.
Then there’s the revolution movement and this part containsThe only thing I have to say here is that there were some spies playing dociles and masters and once one of those dociles raped Elijah at a party in front of everyone and when Elijah confronts the bitch he says he’d do it again because he’s so loyal to the movement and idk if the author was pointing out how ruthless some people are or thinking that for fhd revolution you must be prepared to commit any atrocity ✊🏻 It doesn’t help that that character would openly hit on Elijah and they started a fuck buddy arrangement later on. Like, this could speak to how fucking destroyed Elijah’s sense of self and agency is because of his experience with Alex but… it also bothers me that no one helping Elijah actually knew how to help him. Which is weird because we’ve figured out how to do this already. It requires professionals but like, the leftist movement has people from all walks of life in it and those who have been victims of abuse and well educated tend to be leftist so what the hell?!
The story didn’t end with someone, if not Elijah, killing Alex violently. That would have been the only acceptable ending. There is no way for him to redeem himself. I don’t care if he loves Elijah or not, he doesn’t get any more chances. As a rich person he’s already a parasite and thus a danger to society, we don’t need to add in his affects on those within his general facility.
Lastly, it’s not written that well. Like, it’s barebones type writing. Academic essay type writing. I was bored while also being triggered (which is partially my fault for not respecting my own boundary). There is no justifiable reason to include a graphic rape scene. Not even for the leftist cause. Yes there is no consent under capitalism and rape is a good metaphor. You don’t need to write the rape to use that analogy. And you most definitely don’t need to hand it over to the general public to consume.
1.25/5 stars. Would not recommend to anyone ever. Don’t hurt yourself with this book, it’s not worth it.
Okay, so when I put a hold on this book I knew it was an analogy for how there is no true consent under capitalism. That’s actually why I wanted to read it as I am a leftist. This book challenged me to say the least. It challenged my ethics and my boundaries and view lelfists. But not the way I think the author wanted, I think.
This book is pretty outspoken in that it will contain themes of rape. I wanted to read the story because I recognized that the author is a leftist and generally, of so I thought, leftists are pretty educated and thoughtful about topics like racism, feminism, and sexual assault/harassment. Before listening to this book I, as a writer, had the strong belief that there is no ethical reason for a book to contain a graphic rape scene. Maybe a scene where the sex doesn’t go as planned but when it comes to actual rape, you can tell a story where rape happens and include some details without writing the scene. I am open to being corrected or finding exceptions to the rule always. If you give me a better/more accurate perspective I will change my mind. That’s why I read this.
As a survivor of rape, repeated rape, I am knowledgeable and sensitive to this subject. I have been a support to friends, partners, and family who have suffered sexual assault/harassment and I’ve done a fuck-ton of research and personal healing. And I hate this book.
I put off writing a review for it for months because I was trying to find a more objective view of it. It hasn’t worked. As time passed I’ve only become more upset with it. It makes me angry.
Here’s my perspective: if you, as an author, need to process something personal and you best do that by putting it in a narrative, do it. I do this all the time because I’m a big thinker and sometimes giving my struggle to someone else (fictionally) and watching them process it helps me to see the situation in a new light and have grace for myself. So if this is what the author needed to do, awesome, I’m glad they’re processing their shit instead of keeping it locked up. But they should not have published it. I think a lot of people forget that oversharing isn’t just harmful to the person oversharing. The people that are getting this information they did not ask for are being harmed and not just because it makes them uncomfortable. It’s invasive! It takes energy to process they might have needed for other things. It forces them into a relationship dynamic they did not consent to. But wait, I didn’t have to read this book. I knew it was going to be challenging and could have put it down any time I wanted, right? Yes?
But it wasn’t just the tale that made this book shit. It was the characters, the plot, the way the rape was treated by the author. The author tries sympathizing with Alex, the abuser. I remember listening to Alex’s pov and wondering if the author was trying to convince me that rich abusers are just people doing the best they can. I was listening, and thinking, wait, you don’t think this is legit real do you? Rich people don’t think this way. Rapists don’t think this way. And even if they did, Alex’s actions still caused harm and they aren’t going to be absolved because he regrets it and apologized. He’s still guilty. Elijah, in my opinion, is fucking annoying. I think it’s just his personality that clashed with mine. What happened to him is unforgivable and his emotional response to it makes psychological sense and, I think, is fitting to his personality. What I hate more than anything is how the story is set up like Alex and Elijah are meant to be together. You can’t come back from abuse like that. Ever. You are, for life, changed and your relationship dynamic is completely destroyed. Even with therapy and boundaries and working to become better people. Your love for each other is tainted, you can’t start fresh because that harm changes who you are permanently and affects all of your relationships not to mention the one which gave you that trauma in the first place.
Then there’s the revolution movement and this part contains
The story didn’t end with someone, if not Elijah, killing Alex violently. That would have been the only acceptable ending. There is no way for him to redeem himself. I don’t care if he loves Elijah or not, he doesn’t get any more chances. As a rich person he’s already a parasite and thus a danger to society, we don’t need to add in his affects on those within his general facility.
Lastly, it’s not written that well. Like, it’s barebones type writing. Academic essay type writing. I was bored while also being triggered (which is partially my fault for not respecting my own boundary). There is no justifiable reason to include a graphic rape scene. Not even for the leftist cause. Yes there is no consent under capitalism and rape is a good metaphor. You don’t need to write the rape to use that analogy. And you most definitely don’t need to hand it over to the general public to consume.
1.25/5 stars. Would not recommend to anyone ever. Don’t hurt yourself with this book, it’s not worth it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Chronic illness, Classism, Dementia, Drug use, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Torture
Moderate: Colonisation, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Eating disorder, Medical content, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Deportation, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Alcohol, and Gaslighting
Minor: War, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Blood, Colonisation, Body shaming, Deportation, Kidnapping, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
More...