Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Tell Me I'm Worthless by Alison Rumfitt

40 reviews

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

A phenomenal novel, if not entirely enjoyable, it is a harrowing exploration of trauma through bigotry and intergenerational fascism can lead to prejudice and self-loathing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Cursing, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Outing, Death, Murder, Self harm, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Deadnaming, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Vomit, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, and Excrement

Minor: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Abandonment

Be prepared for instances of INCEL culture, terrorism, bombing, disturbing hate symbols, TERF culture, woman-on-woman sexual assault, serial killing, self-hatred, strap-on sex, the loss of a friend, and public sex.

rachelnoel's review

dark medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Gore, Toxic friendship, Grief, Death, Transphobia, Hate crime, Vomit, Rape, Body horror, Violence, and Sexism

Minor: Deadnaming, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, and Colonisation

martinza's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I cried a little bit after finishing it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, Excrement, Murder, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Transphobia

sparklebites94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Body horror, Death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Antisemitism and Self harm

Minor: Drug use, Addiction, and Drug abuse

gilroi's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 While this novel is searingly raw, absolutely none of it is undercooked. A testament to the work, considering how many incredible risks the writing takes, not just with form, but with content. This is a very specific book, about a very specific time, and a very specific experience. I don't know how people will understand this book if they're unfamiliar with how the internet treats trans people-- the TERF 'movement', mumsnet and #IStandWithMaya and trans widows and 4chan Nazis and sissy hypno. All of these things are real. All of these things are not parody. The book is about these things. Which is to say, fascism.

This book is a slap in the face from someone who loves you. Maybe you can forgive the violence. Maybe you can't. That's your choice. It might be the only choice you have. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Gore, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Blood, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Lesbophobia, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Racial slurs, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Outing, Deadnaming, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, and Excrement

lynxpardinus's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Blood, Deadnaming, Death, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Deportation, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, War, Child abuse, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic and Incest

sargasso_c's review against another edition

Maybe I'm just not getting it, but the book seems to layer queer trauma on top of queer trauma without pausing for a breath or a speck of narrative. At a certain point, I just wasn't enjoying myself. The novel isn't particularly scary in an enjoyable, horror novel way - it's just genuinely horrifying in the real-life and sad way. And I don't read to experience that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Body horror, Drug use, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Pedophilia

l_will8889's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

2.25

I had a really hard time getting through the 140 pages it took to get to the plot that was described on the back of the book. Two whole pages were devoted to transcribing a 4chan post with minimal punctuation, when we got maybe two sentences of lead-in to what should have been a shattering plot twist had there been enough build up. Ila’s perspective and motivations got lost, which made the events of the return to the House and the epilogue feel rushed. The pace and editing didn’t do the story justice (especially if you’re someone who has a hard time with poetry or reading when there aren’t a lot of paragraph breaks). 

That being said, the characters were compelling and difficult in a way that felt honest to their experiences. I loved the literal dual POV moment describing the absolute horror of what really went down between Alice and Ila in the House; the two column format was so unique and gripping I wish I could have read both simultaneously. Unfortunately, I just didn’t find myself enjoying the rest of this book as much as I wanted to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Antisemitism, Body horror, Rape, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Grief, Alcoholism, Addiction, Classism, Self harm, and Suicide

lovelylilelle's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Antisemitism, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Torture, Colonisation, Death, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Dysphoria, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Body shaming, Classism, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

bookishfaye's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-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

5.0

What a brilliant & rageful albeit explicitly horrific & triggering exploration of trauma, fascism, transness, transphobia, racism etc utilized through haunted house metaphor. A really powerful read holy moly

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Racism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Body horror, Deadnaming, Hate crime, Self harm, Violence, Sexism, Excrement, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Deportation, and Dysphoria