Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Trust Exercise by Susan Choi

67 reviews

soj19's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship

readwithkelly's review

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

2.5

The descriptions of scenes were excellent. Some of the writing confused me as it went from first person to third, and breaking the 4th wall. There were pages that were difficult to follow and I didn’t know where the plot was going. 

I found parallels between Sarah and “Karen” but wasn’t sure if they’re the same person. I couldn’t tell who were real characters and who were fake, especially Manuel.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Adult/minor relationship

tragicdramatic23's review

dark reflective sad medium-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Adult/minor relationship

mandi_lea's review

mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, and Gun violence

Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use

laurensilva's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Trust Exercise is an interesting exploration into how there are always several sides to a story. We begin fully believing Sarah's narration, even though she is a teenager when everything seems outsized, only

to be told about halfway through the book that this has all been "fiction," or more accurately, "auto-fiction." We enter a new POV, "Karen's," which tells us that the Sarah we know is fake, a self-absorbed lie. It turns our preconceived notions around. But because of this switch, Choi also gets us questioning Karen's POV. Just like Karen says Sarah cannot speak to Karen's relationship with "Elli," neither can Karen truly know Sarah's relationship with her own mother; but still, Karen speaks with full authority on that topic. Karen is written from the self-righteous POV that she alone is right, she alone knows the truth and is a victim of Sarah's re-telling.

I do love how Choi switches between first and third person narration, especially with Karen, underscoring the difference between what a person remembers and what "actually" happened. For example, Karen's initial first-person telling of what happened between her and Sarah is that Karen went away to "Bible school" for the "fall and winter of [her] junior year" and Sarah struck out alone to London. Then about 70 pages later, we get a third-person telling of "the truth."

I do think we could have done without the final section with Claire. I feel like that story line cheapens the rest of the book, turning it more into a soap opera drama.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol, Child abuse, Vomit, and Car accident

sarahtokar's review against another edition

Hated the characters. Very uncomfortable with the abusive teacher. Not interested in theater kid vibes. Totally unrealistic depiction of teenagers. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Adult/minor relationship

hollyglolightly's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

It’s metafiction. 🤯 The whole point is to hate the things people say they hate, which is why you have to trust the author long enough to keep going to parts 2 and 3 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

travisppe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The format of this book is going to stick with me for a long time. Very cool. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Outing, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Incest, Pregnancy, Rape, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual violence

ravensalwaysreading's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I feel so divided on this book. The first half was incredibly painful for me to read and I was anxiety ridden about where the protagonist was going. When the twist came I was intrigued because I thought it would be about this tangled friendship, but was quickly let down. If it had ended there it would have been okay but a poor encapsulation of supposed symbolism. But then the third section ended, as did the overall book, and now I'm left feeling grimy and sad and still don't not understandin  what the point of it was. The harm men can do to women that chases them through not only their adult lives but their children's adult lives? Why did you rupture our view of the first character to set up the next character? Why leave off after giving us the shortest time with the most likable character just to traumatize her and us and then run away after that? I guess my final question is still what is the point?

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, and Eating disorder

rmperezpadilla's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Pedophilia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts