Scan barcode
jenngeiger's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
lois1307's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Some perspectives are hard to write about. Bervoets explores the complexities of trauma in a nuanced and empathetic way, confronting the influence of horrific content on human behaviour with complete recognition of the human. The book is gripping, though at times a little triggering personally (triggering details are never the focus of this story though). Thank you Hanna for this story.
hamletslover's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
sibbostar's review
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hayleybetts20's review against another edition
dark
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
catherinemorganowen's review against another edition
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
3.0
readingandgilmoregirls's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
starrybooker's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
4.0
There’s nothing more frustrating than reading reader reviews of a book and just knowing that it went viral to the wrong type of audience.
We had to remove this post is a quiet but pacey novella about a content moderator and the deterioration of her relationship and her sanity. This is an unreliable-narrator story that wears its unreliability on its sleeve - you can tell from the beginning that the main character, Kayleigh, is obfuscating the truth to make herself look better, and it encourages you to question both her POV and her motives.
A lot of the reader reactions are odd to read, but one I particularly don’t understand is that it ‘drops its promise’ about the horrors of content moderation, when that is the entire backbone of the narrative. Kayleigh and her girlfriend, Sigrid, are both warped by the horrific content they consume each day. While Sigrid’s change is more obvious, falling down the alt-right pipeline from health consciousness to holocaust denial, Kayleigh’s sexual habits become more violent and coercive.
The slow unfolding of Kayleigh’s narrative and the unveiling of sexual violence she’s unaware she’s committing was one of the most compelling aspects of the book. We’re all fairly familiar with those we know falling into conspiracy mindsets, but far less discussed from this kind of POV is how constant viewing of hyper-violent sexual images could warp your own sexuality. Having her unreliable narration meant that the reader has to put together the pieces of this violence that she’s completely unaware in a way that felt very realistic - rapists rarely think they’re rapists, and we’re all the good guys in our own heads.
A great little story, and a rare novella that’s neither too short or too long. I genuinely think it hit the wrong audience on tiktok and they were expecting a fucked-up horror novel rather than the quiet literary novella it is.
We had to remove this post is a quiet but pacey novella about a content moderator and the deterioration of her relationship and her sanity. This is an unreliable-narrator story that wears its unreliability on its sleeve - you can tell from the beginning that the main character, Kayleigh, is obfuscating the truth to make herself look better, and it encourages you to question both her POV and her motives.
A lot of the reader reactions are odd to read, but one I particularly don’t understand is that it ‘drops its promise’ about the horrors of content moderation, when that is the entire backbone of the narrative. Kayleigh and her girlfriend, Sigrid, are both warped by the horrific content they consume each day. While Sigrid’s change is more obvious, falling down the alt-right pipeline from health consciousness to holocaust denial, Kayleigh’s sexual habits become more violent and coercive.
The slow unfolding of Kayleigh’s narrative and the unveiling of sexual violence she’s unaware she’s committing was one of the most compelling aspects of the book. We’re all fairly familiar with those we know falling into conspiracy mindsets, but far less discussed from this kind of POV is how constant viewing of hyper-violent sexual images could warp your own sexuality. Having her unreliable narration meant that the reader has to put together the pieces of this violence that she’s completely unaware in a way that felt very realistic - rapists rarely think they’re rapists, and we’re all the good guys in our own heads.
A great little story, and a rare novella that’s neither too short or too long. I genuinely think it hit the wrong audience on tiktok and they were expecting a fucked-up horror novel rather than the quiet literary novella it is.
museings's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5