Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Penance by Eliza Clark

212 reviews

obito's review against another edition

slow-paced

1.5

Had to rewrite my review after sitting on it. The more I think about this story the more I dislike it. Overall it's way too long for what it wants to accomplish, and that hurts the point the book was trying to make. The theme of exploitation and truth in true crime felt hypocritical after finding out that details of this fictional case were largely taken from the murder of Shanda Sharer. It actually puts a pretty bad taste in my mouth that a novel with attempts to interrogate the tactless exploitation of true crime ends up de-centering (and fictionalizing) real life victims and their families.

The story ends up being too unfocused to be a critique of the true crime genre. Themes of girlhood, bullying, and toxic female friendships could've been made more effectively in fewer pages. This novel should've been no more than 200 pages.

The attempt to recreate internet culture from a particular time were sometimes successful and often not. I wonder how much the inclusion of this element added to the text for those who haven't been chronically online or engaged in tumblr fandom.

Unfortunately, the execution of this book is extremely lacking. Its themes explored in far better novels. Obviously this is for some people, but just not for me. Boo

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault

abi_laura's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gun violence and Mass/school shootings

bold's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death, Death, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ermw0's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The rare book where I am hooked by the premise, and then completely sold after the first page. I didn't want to look away while also feeling revulsion for the characters and their awful awful ways. God, how I do not miss being a teenage girl. I thought this was an effective commentary on the true crime fandom, as well as those Tumblr girlies who obsess over real serial killers. This book is graphic, infuriating, scary, repulsive, and addicting. Both a rebuke of the true crime genre and sort of a perfect example how you can create this type of gripping story without exploiting real people and their tragedies. As someone who fell off of true crime simply because of how slimy it made me feel consuming the grief of real people, this was the book that gave me everything I wanted and spoke to some of my own feelings. 

Eliza Clark is now an author who I will read anything she writes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

ginagray's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

milliebrierley's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

bek_p87's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

This was dark, twisted, and thought-provoking on several levels. Presented as a non-fiction true-crime book about a horrific fictional murder in a small seaside town, this is about evil, our fascination with it, and how capitalism monetises this fascination. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide

bri0987's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, and Mass/school shootings

mookisbooks's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

deannamartin113's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.75

A mimic book. A book that is a novel, but presents itself as a non-fiction, true crime book. It explores the damage that the true crime community (podcasts, Reddit groups, Tumblr, books, and others) can have on the victims, the victim’s families, the perpetrators, the perpetrator’s families and the community at large.

I had a true crime season. I thought I partook responsibly, but I’m rethinking that.  The true crime podcasts I listened/watched are very well made. Their stories are well written and captivating. How much artistic license is taken with their stories?

They can tell us until they’re blue in the face that they’ve spoken with the victim’s family and have their blessing, but they give no proof, or receipts (in internet parlance).

I was becoming more uncomfortable with one of the TC podcasts I watched when they covered current cases, or even open cases with suspects, because one host was particularly intense about who she considered guilty. Once she considers you guilty, she’s like a dog with a meaty bone.  The comments and innuendo never stop. Her jokes about the suspect never stop. ‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is not a phrase she particularly likes, however she will yell long and loud about her own freedoms.

I find a gaping disconnect there. 

Penance is not a book to read lightly. TW for s**cide, miscarriage, murder, some graphic, teen drinking violence, SA off page, misogyny language, gaslighting all over the place, gross sexual language and jokes, and probably more I’m missing. 

I think I am finished with True Crime podcasts and books.  I’m not sure how I feel about crime documentaries, except that they need a governing body to impose standards.  I’ll stick to reading the court documents, watching the actual trials, and listening to the commentary of real lawyers - there’s plenty of them on YouTube now. I’m looking at you, @theemilydbaker 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Violence, Gaslighting, and Alcohol