Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

26 reviews

candournat's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Self harm, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Eating disorder

brianareads's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Fatphobia, Self harm, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder

v7738v773's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I thought I’d like this book more than I did. The brutal honesty und accuracy with which the author describes the protagonist’s emotions and behaviors were intriguing, but I just didn’t feel good reading this book. It was hard to get into at first and the last third just made me feel dragged down. I didn’t really want to continue reading but did so for the sake of finishing the book. Maybe more fitting for someone else, as I just didn’t feel connected to the main character, especially towards the end. I found it too dark and just couldn’t relate to the overall mindset. Reading this book felt like a toxic and abusive experience with an ending that was neither conclusive nor developed enough for me. Wouldn’t read again and wouldn’t really recommend to a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use

crawforl's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual content

lilyforever's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Wow, this was incredible. The writing was so raw, vulnerable and personal, and yet utterly intoxicating. 

The book centred on the whirlwind ‘romance’ between the narrator and Ciaran, laying bare the destructive force of obsessive love on the self. The narrator’s point of view, despite being unnamed, was so intimate that you felt everything that she went through. 

Interweaved with the affecting prose was nuanced and edifying commentary on sex, gender, consent, power and patriarchy, the male gaze and the violence of sex. The flash-forwards to 2019 Athens were rich and clear in these perspectives, providing a stunning contrast to the dizziness of the narrator’s thoughts and experiences in the main timeline. 

Overall, a staggering and important debut which left me stewing in thought for a while after.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Addiction, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

edytaworyna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Fatphobia

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

The narrator of Acts of Desperation is one of the most self-hating and self-destructive characters that I have encountered in fiction. The central relationship in this book is so toxic that I found it painful to experience as a reader. However, Megan Nolan manages to make this deeply depressing story stay compelling and all-too-real throughout. 

Another testament to Nolan's talent is how easy I found it to empathize with her narrator's acts of desperation - despite being simultaneously devastated by them. Ultimately, I normally love a dark book but maybe this was too realistically dark for me. Check the content warnings before reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia

sib_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood, and Drug use

Minor: Pedophilia

amina_el's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Physical abuse