Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

12 reviews

kitandink's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

well! 

also, hell of a plot twist

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Suicide, Biphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide attempt, and Grief

Minor: Toxic friendship, Mass/school shootings, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Murder, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexism, Rape, Death, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Bullying, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Biphobia, Medical content, and Vomit

Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent

bringitona's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Vomit, Death, Blood, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Cursing, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Grief, and Stalking

msradiosilence's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.0

TLDR; 3 rating, I love women’s wrongs, I love queer women, but there is something missing here.

Content warnings at the bottom. :)

I am a sucker for bisexual female main characters, and this one kills men who hurt women?? It sounded so far up my alley. I went in hoping Scarlett and Carly would team up and take down all the horrible men on Gorman’s campus but that’s just…not exactly what happened.

So Scarlett and Carly are the same person. I figured that out just a little bit before the reveal, so cheers!

I really appreciated Carly’s arc, but because the time was ambiguous, the four or five page chapters and then the switches back and forth between Carly and Scarlett did give me whiplash in a few places. I understand why (to keep you on the edge of your seats during tense moments) but there was something lost in the back and forth. 

I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how there’s quite literally a single man in this book who is a genuinely good guy, and it’s sort of explained away because he’s gay. I think people pointing this out are missing the fact that Scarlett is a horrendously unreliable narrator. Someone described this as genderbent American Psycho, and while I’ve never read that book, I’ve seen plenty of reviewers who bite back at incel misogynists who look up to Patrick Bateman enough to realize that the comparison is likely an apt one. Scarlett is so consumed with her belief that men ain’t shit, and while it’s very likely the men she kills haven’t committed crimes egregious enough for the reader to sentence them to death, Scarlett’s had enough. She reads a lot into situations, often colored by her own trauma, and since this is from her perspective, we should take her observations with a grain of salt (in most cases). With the exception of Drew, all the men in this book read as horrible predators, and we as the audience only have Scarlett to rely on until another character confirms it (Mina with Kinnear,

Mikayla with Jasper

, jury’s still out on Stright). But whether you believe Scarlett or not, the point is she’s unreliable, but these men are still pretty awful.

And that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s a cautionary tale against trust, because it’s not always the ones you don’t know. Scarlett is a dream, and one that I’ve heard quite a few of my friends echo. Because even in the year of our lorde 2023, the doctors and the deans in Carly’s storyline are still saying the same shit. I saw it happen in undergrad to friends of mine. We have a long, long way to go before the events in this book are only the work of fiction.

Anyway. I thought the book was fine but it didn’t change my life. So, solid three stars.

Rating: 3

Would I recommend? A tentative yes, but mostly for the TWs and content.

Content warnings: Graphic: Fire, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Gore, Grief, Sexism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content (about sexual assault), Sexual content (on page, consensual), Sexual harassment, Blood, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence. Moderate: Death of parent, Rape (mentioned, not on page), Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Suicide (mentioned). Minor: Torture (mentioned), Car accident, and Drug use

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexism, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Mental illness, Gore, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Rape

Minor: Car accident, Drug use, and Torture

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Carly was really giving 2012 fanfiction main character with her “i’m not like other girls, no one would find plain old me attractive, i only wear black and Doc Martens” and it was annoying. the first major twist was good but i guessed the later one right away, so after

the halfway mark

the story felt predictable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Emotional abuse, Biphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Stalking, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Car accident, and Pedophilia

froggydanny's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood and Cursing

Minor: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Grief, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

bitchigo's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Cursing, Blood, Infidelity, Sexual content, Stalking, and Sexual assault

alexisgarcia's review

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

this was so enjoyable. it has female rage, revenge, and men finally getting punishment. what else could you want? 
*please check the content warnings!!*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Stalking

sunsetcity's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

THEY NEVER LEARN is a sapphic serial killer thriller about women getting control and taking revenge. 

The narrators alternate between an English professor getting ready for her yearly kill and a freshman who plans revenge after her friend is assaulted. Carly and Scarlett feel distinct at the start of the book and their chapters are very easy to tell apart. Early on I liked Carly better but by the end I was rooting for Scarlett and I'm very happy with how things turned out. If you liked (or wanted to like) DEXTER but wished it were sapphic, check this out. 

There's enough detail to make it very clear what the various perpetrators/murder victims did that got them on Scarlett's radar or drew Carly's ire, but without glorifying sexual violence or giving graphic details of abuse. Refer to the CWs for more information. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Cursing, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Rape