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literarypenguin's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-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
3.5
3.5 Stars
When I finished reading this book yesterday, I had to carefully gather my thoughts and feelings about this book. I can now say with honesty that I have mixed feelings about it. My feelings do lean more positive then negative but I do have thoughts. I did enjoy the book but some things to dampen my enjoyment just a bit.
Trixie and Lux are two small town girls with hard upbringings. After deciding to take a road trip to get away for awhile, Trixie and Lux make a small pit stop at a college bar. That pit stop soon turns violent as the girls are forced to run for their lives. Now on the run, Trixie and Lux must decide if they turn themselves in or leave their former lives behind forever.
One thing I loved about this story was that the characters, especially Trixie and Lux, were flawed and messy. I love when characters are flawed because it makes them more human and not some unattainable form of perfection. Trixie had some clear issues with PTSD/Anxiety that she has yet to get help with. Lux has abandonment issues and issues with her emotions that she cant control. These issues that Trixie and Lux had made the story all the more real and raw. The writing was very good and the locations are definitely what kept me invested. I loved seeing the different places and people the girls encountered on the road, how some were good and some not so good.
One thing that bothered me was how when the girls got a unexpected windfall of money, they spent it very fast and without much care. I know they are teenagers and they can make irresponsible decisions but I thought since they both were taking care of people, Trixie being the sole caretaker of her mother with early onset dementia or Alzheimers and Lux taking care of her little brother, i thought they would be more aware of their money and more responsible with it. I really didnt like some of their decisions either and how some situations were a little too convenient for them.
I thought that the #Metoo movement could have been included a little bit more and found a better way to fit more into the story rather then just in blog posts and forums. I thought the ending could have been a bit better either with a epilogue or better ending.
So even though my feelings were mixed by the end, I still enjoyed it. Take a read for yourselves and whether your feelings are positive, negative or mixed like me I hope you get enjoyment from it like I did.
When I finished reading this book yesterday, I had to carefully gather my thoughts and feelings about this book. I can now say with honesty that I have mixed feelings about it. My feelings do lean more positive then negative but I do have thoughts. I did enjoy the book but some things to dampen my enjoyment just a bit.
Trixie and Lux are two small town girls with hard upbringings. After deciding to take a road trip to get away for awhile, Trixie and Lux make a small pit stop at a college bar. That pit stop soon turns violent as the girls are forced to run for their lives. Now on the run, Trixie and Lux must decide if they turn themselves in or leave their former lives behind forever.
One thing I loved about this story was that the characters, especially Trixie and Lux, were flawed and messy. I love when characters are flawed because it makes them more human and not some unattainable form of perfection. Trixie had some clear issues with PTSD/Anxiety that she has yet to get help with. Lux has abandonment issues and issues with her emotions that she cant control. These issues that Trixie and Lux had made the story all the more real and raw. The writing was very good and the locations are definitely what kept me invested. I loved seeing the different places and people the girls encountered on the road, how some were good and some not so good.
One thing that bothered me was how when the girls got a unexpected windfall of money, they spent it very fast and without much care. I know they are teenagers and they can make irresponsible decisions but I thought since they both were taking care of people, Trixie being the sole caretaker of her mother with early onset dementia or Alzheimers and Lux taking care of her little brother, i thought they would be more aware of their money and more responsible with it. I really didnt like some of their decisions either and how some situations were a little too convenient for them.
I thought that the #Metoo movement could have been included a little bit more and found a better way to fit more into the story rather then just in blog posts and forums. I thought the ending could have been a bit better either with a epilogue or better ending.
So even though my feelings were mixed by the end, I still enjoyed it. Take a read for yourselves and whether your feelings are positive, negative or mixed like me I hope you get enjoyment from it like I did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Dementia and Murder
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic relationship
paytograce's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
For a deep dive review, check out our podcast: You Have to Read this Book!! (Anchor.fm/youhavetoreadthisbook) out June 1!
Content Warning: sexual assault, rape, racism, minors with alcohol, suggestions of abuse, parental death, ailing parent, murder
Trouble Girls is troubling indeed.
To quote our protagonist, Trixie Denton “It’s so ridiculous it’s almost comical.”
If a book doesn’t have a really amazing, interesting plot then I need interesting characters with good development.
The reviews and synopsis of Trouble Girls was so promising I was thrilled to receive an ARC. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much plot and there was even less character development.
We follow Trixie and Lux as they run from one terrible decision to the next, and by the end of the story we see no growth, no remorse, and no change. Trixie is such an unreliable narrator that I’m not even convinced that the ending happened how it was written or that any of the odd characters they meet were real.
Rubin brings up social issue after social issue, just barely scratching the surface and then moving on. I was unconvinced of any overall moral code or resolution. The whole story had a 90’s grunge aesthetic but nothing deeper than that.
I was disappointed to say the least. This is not one you have to read.
Content Warning: sexual assault, rape, racism, minors with alcohol, suggestions of abuse, parental death, ailing parent, murder
Trouble Girls is troubling indeed.
To quote our protagonist, Trixie Denton “It’s so ridiculous it’s almost comical.”
If a book doesn’t have a really amazing, interesting plot then I need interesting characters with good development.
The reviews and synopsis of Trouble Girls was so promising I was thrilled to receive an ARC. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much plot and there was even less character development.
We follow Trixie and Lux as they run from one terrible decision to the next, and by the end of the story we see no growth, no remorse, and no change. Trixie is such an unreliable narrator that I’m not even convinced that the ending happened how it was written or that any of the odd characters they meet were real.
Rubin brings up social issue after social issue, just barely scratching the surface and then moving on. I was unconvinced of any overall moral code or resolution. The whole story had a 90’s grunge aesthetic but nothing deeper than that.
I was disappointed to say the least. This is not one you have to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Death of parent
melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for an arc of this book.
On a weekend trip, best friends Trixie and Lux run into trouble at a bar and the night ends in violence. The girls go on the run as wanted fugitives, and they have to deal with harsh truths and realities as they leave behind the only life they've ever known, and only have each other to hang onto.
I so badly wanted to love this book, but it just didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would. I felt like the pacing was quite slow, and I didn't feel like I knew the characters enough to really care about them. The important things that happened were kind of glanced over in the writing to make way for more reflection from Trixie, which is fine, but makes for a read where it feels like you're always waiting for the action to start.
The most interesting part of this book for me was the discussions of sexual assault, the forum posts, and where the girls went with that. I thought those parts made some really good points and was an important topic.
I was not a fan of the ending of this book, personally.
Pub Date: June 1, 2021
On a weekend trip, best friends Trixie and Lux run into trouble at a bar and the night ends in violence. The girls go on the run as wanted fugitives, and they have to deal with harsh truths and realities as they leave behind the only life they've ever known, and only have each other to hang onto.
I so badly wanted to love this book, but it just didn't grip me the way I had hoped it would. I felt like the pacing was quite slow, and I didn't feel like I knew the characters enough to really care about them. The important things that happened were kind of glanced over in the writing to make way for more reflection from Trixie, which is fine, but makes for a read where it feels like you're always waiting for the action to start.
The most interesting part of this book for me was the discussions of sexual assault, the forum posts, and where the girls went with that. I thought those parts made some really good points and was an important topic.
I was not a fan of the ending of this book, personally.
Pub Date: June 1, 2021
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Murder, Rape, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, and Dementia
Minor: Toxic relationship and Panic attacks/disorders
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Wow, what a debut. I'm one of the minority who hasn't watched the movie Thelma and Louise. I know, I know. But it's such a cultural thing that I know what it's roughly about and I know the ending that it's famous for. And this book was excellent. I've had it on my radar for ages and I'm so grateful that Wednesday Books granted me access to this ARC. Because after reading around 15% of it, I preordered it because I knew I needed to own it. I really loved Lux and Trixie. The complicated relationship, the wrestling with sexuality, the past that was so underwritten and gorgeously done. It was a fantastic book and I can't wait to see what this author does next.
Wow, what a debut. I'm one of the minority who hasn't watched the movie Thelma and Louise. I know, I know. But it's such a cultural thing that I know what it's roughly about and I know the ending that it's famous for. And this book was excellent. I've had it on my radar for ages and I'm so grateful that Wednesday Books granted me access to this ARC. Because after reading around 15% of it, I preordered it because I knew I needed to own it. I really loved Lux and Trixie. The complicated relationship, the wrestling with sexuality, the past that was so underwritten and gorgeously done. It was a fantastic book and I can't wait to see what this author does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexism
patioclus's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
2.0
Thank you so much to netgalley and Wednesday books for providing me with an ARC. This has not affected my review in any way.
I'm really sad I didn't enjoy this more. I would like to preface this by saying that I've never seen Thelma and Louise, but going off of the IMDB summary I would say this book certainly delivered as a Thelma and Louise retelling. I also want to say that as a 22 year old, I'm not the target audience for the book.
I didn't appreciate that there were no chapters in the book, however I'm not sure if that was the ARC formatting or if the final copy will be like that as well, so I have ignored this complaint in my review. My biggest issue with this book was that I did not vibe with the writing. It felt incredibly repetitive and I think the story easily could have been 100 pages shorter. I also didn't connect with either of the characters, but particularly Lux. She didn't really seem to have a personality besides being the object of Trix's affection. I would have loved to get more background on their friendship and on Lux's character in general so that I could be more invested in their relationship. Being bisexual, I have no complaints with the queer representation in general, I only wish I had felt more invested in Lux and Trix's relationship, as that was the big selling point of the book for me.
I also felt like the overall message of the book was a little disjointed. It was very clearly inspired by the MeToo movement, but Lux and Trix's motivations are kind of all over the place. I would have preferred to either expand on the Trouble Girls persona they developed and make it a major storyline or cut it out completely and just focus on the two of them on the run. In addition, while I understand what the author was going for, I don't need the main character to call men "hogs" every paragraph to understand the message about rape culture this book was going for. It ultimately felt repetitive and cheesy to me.
Overall, I loved the concept, I was ultimately just underwhelmed.
I'm really sad I didn't enjoy this more. I would like to preface this by saying that I've never seen Thelma and Louise, but going off of the IMDB summary I would say this book certainly delivered as a Thelma and Louise retelling. I also want to say that as a 22 year old, I'm not the target audience for the book.
I didn't appreciate that there were no chapters in the book, however I'm not sure if that was the ARC formatting or if the final copy will be like that as well, so I have ignored this complaint in my review. My biggest issue with this book was that I did not vibe with the writing. It felt incredibly repetitive and I think the story easily could have been 100 pages shorter. I also didn't connect with either of the characters, but particularly Lux. She didn't really seem to have a personality besides being the object of Trix's affection. I would have loved to get more background on their friendship and on Lux's character in general so that I could be more invested in their relationship. Being bisexual, I have no complaints with the queer representation in general, I only wish I had felt more invested in Lux and Trix's relationship, as that was the big selling point of the book for me.
I also felt like the overall message of the book was a little disjointed. It was very clearly inspired by the MeToo movement, but Lux and Trix's motivations are kind of all over the place. I would have preferred to either expand on the Trouble Girls persona they developed and make it a major storyline or cut it out completely and just focus on the two of them on the run. In addition, while I understand what the author was going for, I don't need the main character to call men "hogs" every paragraph to understand the message about rape culture this book was going for. It ultimately felt repetitive and cheesy to me.
Overall, I loved the concept, I was ultimately just underwhelmed.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexism, Violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Islamophobia
beyondstardust's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This book was sapphic as hell and I am here for it. 3.5 stars.
Trouble Girls made me feel. And if you know me, you know that I'm dead inside, and potentially harboring a demon somewhere within my body that requires sustenance in the form of doughnuts every weekend. But this book made me feel.
First of all, the cover is gorgeous. That bisexual pink/blue/purple lighting, mMm. Yes. Second of all, I know that I haven't read a lot of books that are quite so brutal about murder and living on the run... following a murder.
Trouble Girls is a fun adventure of running away from consequences while discovering change, taking readers across the southern US as Trixie and Lux escape from their West Virginia origins. What starts off as a (moderately) innocent adventure to a bar on a college campus turns into a wild adventure of two teens on the run, trying to escape a fate that they're sure is going to befall them as a consequence of their actions. It's an exploration of having to grow up too fast, growing feelings, sexuality, and experimentation. It's been a while since I've read a book that felt a little gritty and dangerous, and this book was both of those things.
I enjoyed the feel of this book as a whole. The setting, the descriptions of the landscapes that they drove through, all coupled with the looming feeling of getting caught sets the stage for an intriguing novel, full of neon lights and blurred nights and set against the backdrop of sticky, sweet, sweltering heat. The constant danger encroaching on them as they race across the nation and gradually up the stakes -- set the stage with murder, then sprinkle in some other crimes as they make their way across the southern United States with a finite amount of cash and a car that could kick the bucket at any time.
I gave Trouble Girls three and a half stars because as much as I enjoyed the fast pace of the book, I found myself skimming a lot near the end. I would've loved a little bit past the actual end of the book, which I found to be abrupt and inconclusive, which is perhaps what the author was going for. But in light of this book focusing heavily around our two protagonists heading up a #MeToo movement, the conclusion of the book seemed to focus less on that and more on... well, anything else. I did love that this book took a movement and ran with it, but the ending left me a little empty. And remember, I'm already dead inside.
Cute book, though. Honestly, give me something with the bisexual lighting and murder girls and I'll read it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Trouble Girls made me feel. And if you know me, you know that I'm dead inside, and potentially harboring a demon somewhere within my body that requires sustenance in the form of doughnuts every weekend. But this book made me feel.
First of all, the cover is gorgeous. That bisexual pink/blue/purple lighting, mMm. Yes. Second of all, I know that I haven't read a lot of books that are quite so brutal about murder and living on the run... following a murder.
Trouble Girls is a fun adventure of running away from consequences while discovering change, taking readers across the southern US as Trixie and Lux escape from their West Virginia origins. What starts off as a (moderately) innocent adventure to a bar on a college campus turns into a wild adventure of two teens on the run, trying to escape a fate that they're sure is going to befall them as a consequence of their actions. It's an exploration of having to grow up too fast, growing feelings, sexuality, and experimentation. It's been a while since I've read a book that felt a little gritty and dangerous, and this book was both of those things.
I enjoyed the feel of this book as a whole. The setting, the descriptions of the landscapes that they drove through, all coupled with the looming feeling of getting caught sets the stage for an intriguing novel, full of neon lights and blurred nights and set against the backdrop of sticky, sweet, sweltering heat. The constant danger encroaching on them as they race across the nation and gradually up the stakes -- set the stage with murder, then sprinkle in some other crimes as they make their way across the southern United States with a finite amount of cash and a car that could kick the bucket at any time.
I gave Trouble Girls three and a half stars because as much as I enjoyed the fast pace of the book, I found myself skimming a lot near the end. I would've loved a little bit past the actual end of the book, which I found to be abrupt and inconclusive, which is perhaps what the author was going for. But in light of this book focusing heavily around our two protagonists heading up a #MeToo movement, the conclusion of the book seemed to focus less on that and more on... well, anything else. I did love that this book took a movement and ran with it, but the ending left me a little empty. And remember, I'm already dead inside.
Cute book, though. Honestly, give me something with the bisexual lighting and murder girls and I'll read it.
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
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