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milliebrierley's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, Violence, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Murder
opldxblqo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite its heavy reliance on niche internet nostalgia, what Clark gets right in Penance is the critical look at the culture of violence entertainment in true crime media. Penance asks readers to look inward at their rubber-necking voyeurism without scolding; asks readers to question the motives of true crime content creators, and understand that this content more often than not retraumatizes victims' families. Though this exact critique has been explored many times through fiction in the last couple of years in novels such as I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai (blah), and Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (five starts!), Penance does so much more thoroughly through the use of metanarrative. The sections of prose are well written and each character feels fully fleshed and complex; a delightful surprise after Clark's disappointing first novel, Boy Parts.
Moderate: Suicide, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Mass/school shootings, Incest, Gun violence, Child death, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Murder, Torture, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Death
phenixbradley's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Self harm, Child abuse, Rape, and Pedophilia
Minor: Self harm and Eating disorder
katerina_l's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Gore, Grief, Bullying, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Blood, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Homophobia, Self harm, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
drrock's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Torture, Child death, Alcoholism, Deportation, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Rape, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Drug use, and Death
karenleagermain's review
- 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
5.0
The book is a fast-paced force. If you do like true crime, this story will test your love of the genre, as it serves as a push back on our culture's obsession with true crime. In Penance, a group of teenagers lock a classmate in a beach shed and set the shed on fire. The girl survives long enough to accuse her attackers. The story is told through the eyes of the juvenile criminals and there is very little that they regret. We also see the story through the eyes of a true crime podcast, which flippantly talks about the case and is not dissimilar to real life popular true crime podcasts.
I was absolutely hooked by Penance and read it within a few days. I was actually quite relieved that it is a work of fiction, because the details are horrific. Eliza Clark is a fabulous writer and I look forward to reading her other books.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder
A teenage girl is murdered by her classmates in a very brutal attack where she is burned alive.sheeprustler's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Bullying, Gore, Death, and Gun violence
mashapopeskovic's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Bullying, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Homophobia, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Blood, Classism, Drug use, and Lesbophobia
sparanj2's review
- 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
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, and Mass/school shootings
Minor: Homophobia
kitfkat's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Torture, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcohol, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Addiction
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Dementia, Eating disorder, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Abortion, and Xenophobia