Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

3 reviews

rachaelwho's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Deeply depressed and depressing. Everything felt inevitable, though for a brief shining moment here and there I thought that

Cassie would destroy the company before she died

.  That was the main will she/won't she of the book for me, otherwise I could see it all in front of me, but not in a bad way. It did take me a weirdly long time to realize that

Cassie had reproduced her relationship with her parents in her friends

.
I would not have called this magical realism. There's no indication that the black hole is literally, physically there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Racism, Addiction, Colonisation, Sexism, and Sexual content

bookrokosmos's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Ripe is definitely a captivating and thought-provoking read that manages to depict Cassie's deep sense of emptiness. The author's engaging and bold prose truly brings the story to life, showcasing the unique format of the book that skillfully alternates between Cassie's present and past experiences. However, what truly adds to the poignancy of the narrative is how the ever-present black hole consistently mirrors Cassie's emotions in every passing moment. It's a hauntingly beautiful, yet undeniably sad and somewhat discomforting journey.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Suicide, Abortion, and Addiction

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic and Emotional abuse

Minor: Fatphobia and Panic attacks/disorders

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

3.75

Thanks to Scribner Books for the free copy of this book.

 - RIPE is one of those books that's satire, but only just barely. I work in marketing, and though luckily I've never had this horrific a job, I see elements from the larger field taken to their logical endpoints all over this book.
- I loved the slight fantastical element of the black hole that follows Cassie around. I'm not sure the device got used to its full potential, but it kept the book from being simply a rote recitation of horrors.
- Although I think the black hole plot thread and the dictionary definition framing device didn't quite work as well as intended, we do a love a book where a character gets an ab0rtion simply because she just cannot have a child right now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Cursing, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Abortion, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicide

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Domestic abuse