Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

15 reviews

hmih's review against another edition

informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Misogyny, Sexism, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Bullying, Sexual assault, Cancer, and Sexism

Minor: Drug abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Cancer, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Suicide, Racism, Xenophobia, Bullying, Sexism, Sexual assault, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Death of parent, Classism, Body shaming, Rape, and Gaslighting

cibani's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

samburkhouse's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Infidelity, Cancer, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gaslighting, Medical content, Racism, Suicide, and Death of parent

emelynreads's review

adventurous reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Pleasantly surprised after reading this book. Not gonna lie, the first 100 pages were almost too cringe to get through because of Bill but that's probably the point. I wanted to read this book after watching American Crime Story's season about Bill and Monica. The last half of the book really nailed the premise, Hilary's alternate life was so believable and the author's character building/dialogue felt authentic. Probs one of my favorite alternate reality novels.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity and Sexism

Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

lindsayerin's review

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Death of parent

franceselsie's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cancer, and Misogyny

Minor: Cursing, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Death

lilycollings's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

I understand why this book is so polarising but if you take this book as a work of fiction, how lives may have played out in a parallel universe it's a really good read. I did skip the more intimate scenes, it felt wrong reading these about real people.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicide, Sexual content, and Misogyny

rhosynmd's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I can see what this book was trying to do, and in some ways it did succeed. I loved the way that parts of what really did happened

Donald Trump being involved, allegations of sexual harassment, and the chanting at rallies

were included but used in different and unexpected ways, however overall I felt like it just fell a bit flat. The last section

where she is actually president and so happy

made me sad to think about what might have/should have been.  Plus the sex scenes were beyond cringe worthy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Sexual content

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer and Suicide

rebeccamm's review

inspiring reflective fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

This book toes the line between wish fulfillment and reality, all keeping the fascinating character of Hillary Rodham at the center.  My only critique is that the real Hillary's lack of nuance and understanding of intersectional feminism is on full display here. At several times in the novel, she brushes past issues of race and feels only minimally remorseful about her ambitions running over women of color. Also, in the version I read, there's only one reference to Latine people and there's a typo. The sentence refers to "Lantinx" people instead of "Latinx" or  "Latine," which I prefer.

None of this was bad enough to take me out of the narrative, but I'd be remiss not to mention it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer and Infidelity

aet_rebecca's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

A super interesting read that let's you imagine a different world. 

I really enjoyed the switching of time-lines and the overall writing style. The cast is obviously limited by the reality base of this book and that also influences the development and likeability. 

At some points the author does seem to keen on a specific version of the characters, which can take away from the truly complex truth. 

I also enjoyed the ending  as it was not left open, as that would have seemed like a cop out to me.

Would definitely love to see more books like this!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual assault