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hollowistheworld's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
0.5
What part of this was the most unpleasant? The fact that every POV character was a self-pitying asshole who couldn't take responsibility for his choices if his life depended on it? The rape fantasies most of them have? The female characters who don't even have names half the time and have the personalities and believability of wet bags of flour, when they're not being treated as villains for having interests outside of fucking the man they have the misfortune of being in a room with? It was well written, I'll give it that, but reading about men jerking off to their right to be shitheads is not my idea of a good time, regardless of the presentation. Anything interesting the author had to say about race or classism or the flaws of higher education was buried for me under the sexism and the circle-jerk pretentiousness that soaked the work. The end spends a great deal of time talking about the sexism occurring in an unrequited love affair, but seems unaware that the preceding pages are nothing but men whining about annoying women, prudish women, women who want to fuck people who are not them. Perhaps this was the point. Perhaps the author thought he was subverting this. If so, he failed horribly. By the time anything in the narrative began to condemn such behavior I had already slogged through 95% of the book throwing around the word bitch anytime a woman dared to express an opinion. Any opinion. I had lost any willingness to assume the best of the authors intentions. I am glad I did not spend money on this book, and will be pleased to send it away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Racism
kristinallard's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Racism, Police brutality, Alcoholism, Blood, Violence, Slavery, Misogyny, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Sexism, Death, Sexual content, and Racial slurs
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