Scan barcode
kfreads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Cursing, Car accident, Death, and Death of parent
ldushay's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Made me cry, 5 stars, would sob while finishing at midnight again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Moderate: Death of parent, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
courtnoodles's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Maybe I should have just watched Whip It instead
2022 Asian Readathon:
- A book written by an Asian author
- A book featuring an Asian character who is a woman and/or older
- A book by an Asian author that has a universe you would want to experience, or a universe that is totally different from yours
2022 Asian Readathon:
- A book written by an Asian author
- A book featuring an Asian character who is a woman and/or older
- A book by an Asian author that has a universe you would want to experience, or a universe that is totally different from yours
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Car accident, Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying and Cursing
maggie_atwood's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Self harm
Minor: Racism
reading_rainbows's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Great main character development, compelling inner monologue. I loved how attraction to same gender was never a concern. Content warning: Self-harm by bruising main topic from the start.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Bruised is a YA novel that follows Daya’s journey and grief following the sudden death of her parents. Unsurprisingly it is sometimes an uncomfortable emotional read, especially when Daya resorts to self-harm as a way to manage her feelings.
I loved the diversity in this book. Among the characters there is a range of ethnicities, genders, sexualities, abilities and ages. There are some unique quirky individuals and I love the warm, caring relationships that exist or develop among them. I thought the story was well paced and structured. The backstory that was interspersed provided some key details crucial to understanding Daya. I’ve long harboured a fascination with roller derby but have absolutely no interest in ever participating. I loved that this story let me learn more - from the safety of the page! Finally, I loved Daya’s story arc, the way she came to learn that one way to be strong is to be soft rather than hard.
I loved the diversity in this book. Among the characters there is a range of ethnicities, genders, sexualities, abilities and ages. There are some unique quirky individuals and I love the warm, caring relationships that exist or develop among them. I thought the story was well paced and structured. The backstory that was interspersed provided some key details crucial to understanding Daya. I’ve long harboured a fascination with roller derby but have absolutely no interest in ever participating. I loved that this story let me learn more - from the safety of the page! Finally, I loved Daya’s story arc, the way she came to learn that one way to be strong is to be soft rather than hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, and Car accident
bash5617's review
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm
Minor: Death of parent
procrastireader's review
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Death of parent
sweetsandlo's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, and Self harm
sarah984's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a young adult novel about a young woman (the character is still in high school but she's 18) who joins a roller derby league while dealing with unresolved personal trauma.
Like a lot of other reviews, I was surprised how severe the self-harm content was, and how often it came up in the book. Daya is also extremely obnoxious for the first half of the novel as a self-defence mechanism. It's understandable but it does make parts of the book a slog to get through. The romance was fine but a little underwhelming. Daya obviously benefited but the love interest kind of felt like a prop. The storyline with Kat dragged on way too long and never really felt resolved.
I did like the parts about the derby itself and all its events. Daya’s friend Fee and most of her derby friends were fun characters. I think it's valuable as well to show a character who is still struggling with trauma despite a supportive environment, and I loved how kind and understanding Daya’s aunt and uncle were about her sexuality since you don't usually see that in novels about immigrant families.
The second half of the book was wonderful, but I'm rating it a bit lower for the rough first half. I would not recommend this book to anyone with a history of self-harm because the narrative dwells on it for so long but I would recommend it to anyone else.
Like a lot of other reviews, I was surprised how severe the self-harm content was, and how often it came up in the book. Daya is also extremely obnoxious for the first half of the novel as a self-defence mechanism. It's understandable but it does make parts of the book a slog to get through. The romance was fine but a little underwhelming. Daya obviously benefited but the love interest kind of felt like a prop. The storyline with Kat dragged on way too long and never really felt resolved.
I did like the parts about the derby itself and all its events. Daya’s friend Fee and most of her derby friends were fun characters. I think it's valuable as well to show a character who is still struggling with trauma despite a supportive environment, and I loved how kind and understanding Daya’s aunt and uncle were about her sexuality since you don't usually see that in novels about immigrant families.
The second half of the book was wonderful, but I'm rating it a bit lower for the rough first half. I would not recommend this book to anyone with a history of self-harm because the narrative dwells on it for so long but I would recommend it to anyone else.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, and Car accident
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, and Bullying
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Transphobia, and Violence