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bookreviewswithkb's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
thank you to @simonbooks for the early copy! Jaded is publishing in the u.s. on March 19th, 2024
“i lost time, frustrated that she [mom] didn’t overcome all of her traumas, rather than marveling at her strength of overcoming some of them.”
okay i’m worried i’m going to sound heartless for how my thoughts are coming together on this one but here we go. this book felt like a light breezy read that was about very serious and emotional topics. what i mean is that i read this quickly, i was drawn into the storyline, but it wasn’t filled with depth in the way it was written. that’s not a criticism i’m just trying to explain. i don’t normally like lighter (in writing style, not content) reads filled with plot and dialogue, but this was really good
it’s intelligent and thought-provoking. it’s an exploration of culture and identity, of how we sometimes take for granted the ways our families love us because we want them to love us differently, not understanding our families are doing the best they can with what they have. it’s about relationships between people of different races and ethnicities, virtue signaling and tokenism. and of course it’s about rape and the impact of coming to accept that it occurred
definitely recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape
Minor: Domestic abuse
kirstym25's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Racism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Racial slurs
Minor: Vomit
aftereliza's review
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Racism
annecarts's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A fantastic debut. Ceyda, known as Jade to 'fit in', works at a London top law firm and is assaulted after a work party. This book explores the reactions of Ceyda, her Turkish and Korean immigrant parents, boyfriend, friends, and work to the night in question.
Racism, sexism, elitism, nepotism all feature and are cleverly shown. I'm sure lots of people will relate to parts of this book depending on their experiences.
I was really rooting for Ceyda and this book took me on an emotional ride.
Racism, sexism, elitism, nepotism all feature and are cleverly shown. I'm sure lots of people will relate to parts of this book depending on their experiences.
I was really rooting for Ceyda and this book took me on an emotional ride.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Sexual assault
Moderate: Xenophobia, Sexism, and Racism
ramreadsagain's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Be aware that this book has intense triggers.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a proof copy of this book. The below is my honest review.
This was an incredible read about the intersection of race, gender, class and privilege, particularly in the aftermath of a horrific event, against the backdrop of the dog-eat-dog London world of legal firms.
Jade was a very compelling character, and seeing the world through her eyes was both difficult and really interesting. I liked having the perspective of a mixed race protagonist who isn't half white; Jade's mother is South Korean and her father is Muslim Turkish and it was refreshing to have this take on "protagonist feels like they don't belong to either half of themself" combined with Jade trying to exist in a white world.
The class commentary was really well done, particularly looking at the class solidarity among the social elite that takes priority over however "liberal" individuals may think they are. Wanting to be seen as feminist and anti-racist without putting in any work, and having the privilege of debating real people's lived experiences as a thought experiment.
The central theme though is rape, and how isolating this experience can be, and how the system is stacked to make it nearly impossible for anything to be done about it on both an individual and a systemic level.
I don't wish to explain/spoil the plot further, I will say that this was a very difficult read at times but done so incredibly well. I particularly loved some of the smaller details, such as the concept of a "starbucks name" and the law firm self-congratulating over having an 11% female workforce.
My only complaint is that it felt at times a bit too tell over show, particularly in thefight scenes between Jade and Kit where we kept being told exactly why certain actions or words were bad.
Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a proof copy of this book. The below is my honest review.
This was an incredible read about the intersection of race, gender, class and privilege, particularly in the aftermath of a horrific event, against the backdrop of the dog-eat-dog London world of legal firms.
Jade was a very compelling character, and seeing the world through her eyes was both difficult and really interesting. I liked having the perspective of a mixed race protagonist who isn't half white; Jade's mother is South Korean and her father is Muslim Turkish and it was refreshing to have this take on "protagonist feels like they don't belong to either half of themself" combined with Jade trying to exist in a white world.
The class commentary was really well done, particularly looking at the class solidarity among the social elite that takes priority over however "liberal" individuals may think they are. Wanting to be seen as feminist and anti-racist without putting in any work, and having the privilege of debating real people's lived experiences as a thought experiment.
The central theme though is rape, and how isolating this experience can be, and how the system is stacked to make it nearly impossible for anything to be done about it on both an individual and a systemic level.
I don't wish to explain/spoil the plot further, I will say that this was a very difficult read at times but done so incredibly well. I particularly loved some of the smaller details, such as the concept of a "starbucks name" and the law firm self-congratulating over having an 11% female workforce.
My only complaint is that it felt at times a bit too tell over show, particularly in the
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Racism, Xenophobia, and Toxic relationship
sablou53's review
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, and Racism
livabellaa's review
emotional
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? It's complicated
5.0
A genuinely electrifying debut - I could not wait to get back to this every moment I had to put it down. Covers so many different avenues without confusion and delivers a realistic but optimistic take on the narrative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Racism
teainthelibrary's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Rape
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