Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl by Andrea Lawlor

6 reviews

cfabb's review against another edition

Honestly- I know it’s meant to be a critique on gender, but there was absolutely noooo nuance or really meaning discussions. Paul is so predatory and uses his ability to ‘be a girl’ not in a way to explore his gender, but a way to exploit the female sex and to exploit others. He’s incredibly predatory and calls the people he’s trying to sleep with ‘his prey’ - there was even a scene very early on where Paul fully SA’s someone and then it’s never mentioned again. Paul is also extremely fatphobic and also just uses his friends as a way to have sex with people by misleading them. I really tried but honestly this book was difficult to read and listen to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Misogyny, and Fatphobia

meganlamming's review

mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault

addie's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Drug use

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Death

lhodgson26's review

dark emotional lighthearted reflective 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? It's complicated

2.0

I just really couldn't vibe with this book which is disappointing as I was intrigued to read it. I feel like we never really got to understand Paul and the first half mainly focused on him exploring sex and then he fell in love with Diane who could speak with bears which I think lost me. I liked his relationship with Tony and it was sad when he died but there seemed to be so many different cities, characters and jumps in time it was difficult to follow the plot. I found Paul and Jayne very self centred characters and I feel like a lot more could have been done with the actual story and some bits were quite uncomfortable to read like when Polly was assaulted. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual assault

iheartm4m's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.25

This book has a lot of potential but Lawlor takes gender identity and sexuality to a literal and physical form that feels necessary for some of the plot but not all. the book pointed to understanding the world through different lenses (girl, woman, man, beta, alpha, lesbian, bisexual) and how a person that has flowed through the gender/sexuality spectrum can and will expirience these situations portrayed in the book throughout their younger years. 
This can be eye opening for those who are are cis/het/certain in their sexuality/gender, but for those who have always fell through the cracks when it comes to identity, this book is a bit obvious. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Homophobia, Grief, Cursing, Sexual content, Death, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Racism

Moderate: Classism, Xenophobia, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Gaslighting, and Biphobia

Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Drug use, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Addiction, Blood, Eating disorder, and Infidelity

noahsingh's review

medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

so so good, instant new favourite book. feel weirdly intensely grateful to Andrea Lawlor as a fellow trans person. can't actually express how much reading this meant to me as a trans bi guy, so nice to be able to read a coming-of-age-esque book with a character whose actually relatable to me as a queer trans person and really just can't wait to read whatever Lawlor writes next. love the fantasy bits intertwined with Paul/Polly's story and all the pretentious references and that the book ends so openly, but with the protagonist young, happy and living Queer life to the fullest, love that for him/her/them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Homophobia, Grief, Drug use, Transphobia, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexism, and Alcohol