Reviews with content warning for Addiction - Acts of Desperation

Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

38 reviews

stellabyproxy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

“Mediating your own victimhood is just part of being a woman. Using it or denying it, hating it or loving it, and all of these at once. Being a victim is boring for everyone involved.”

acts of desperation follows a nameless narrator as she falls in obsession with a man named ciaran. we follow her recollection of the fast-paced romance, toxic codependency, abusive control and abrupt ending(s).

nolan’s writing reads like a frantic train of thought, a private journal, as we take a look at desire, impulsivity, promiscuity, abuse, sexual assault and self-destruction in women (basically, a long list of trigger and content warnings). the complexities of the lenses through which the actions of the protagonist are viewed allows for an unsettling look into the female psyche. nolan has a strong character voice that fully immerses the reader into the storyline, with her choice of an unnamed narrator, written in first person, creating a thin barrier between the story and the readers’ experience. there is much beauty to be found in her commentary on topics of ageism, love, lust, infidelity, mental health and power, making for lots of delicately devastating quotes.

acts of desperation is perfectly poetic, a beautifully intrusive descent into madness.

Content Warnings

susannaobrien's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

Oof, this book packs a punch. It's gripping yet hard to read. Many observations on love, friendship, and self-worth are incredibly intelligently described in ways I've never seen before, and lots is relatable as a twenty-something woman dating men in a city. The conversation around sex and consent was interesting and definitely an uncommon perspective in literature. A few scenes broke my heart. All the characters are flawed, and towards the end the book meditates on how you can portray your side of the story even when you've done wrong. Cool framing device to leave the protagonist unnamed.

In some places it feels a little self-indulgent and academic, which makes it feel less realistic, and hard to believe that a twenty-three year old would have that self-awareness. I also don't like that this is billed as a book on female desire because while much can be relatable to female readers, I think generalising too much from this protagonist's perspective could feed into harmful stereotypes.

Overall an impressive read that left me with some mixed emotions!

Major content warnings.

Content Warnings