Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Ripe

“When you’re young, every part of life seems big and monumental. Once older, you can see it for what it is: smaller pieces of a larger game you have no choice but to play.”

Content Warnings

ukponge's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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? No

5.0

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kelseythomas326's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This feels like a less-good mashup of SEVERANCE and MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION. The "black hole" metaphor for the main character's depression is too on-the-nose for me, and every character is a caricature, too easy to hate. Etter also brings up social issues like homelessness and drug use but only to make simple observations with no actual feeling, message, or point. (There are lots of references to shit in the streets, supposed to serve as a sign of the prevalence of the unhoused in the money-hungry, tech-obsessed city, though Etter makes small [if obvious] attempts to humanize them as well.)

A quick pandemic warning: I couldn't help but say "Ugh" when, very early in the novel, a certain virus is mentioned, but thankfully, it's only a small presence lurking in the background of the novel. The story takes place before things really get crazy, starting with the very first headlines and ending with everyone only just beginning to mask. So if you, like me, fear, loathe, scoff at, etc., the dreaded "pandemic novel," no worries, this isn't really one.

I did like how stylized everything in the novel was, from the repeated pomegranate imagery to the black hole drawings to the dictionary definitions at the start of each chapter. I just wish I liked the content inside the form more.

All that being said, it was a very easy and quick read, and it broke me out of my reading slump. Thanks, Etter!

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alylentz's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

The cover of this intrigued me and I was down to read a novel about the toxicity of the Silicon Valley tech lifestyle. However, I found all the moving pieces here a little much at times and found myself wishing there were one or two fewer subplots because there was so much great tension and drama building in other places in this book. I also wasn't in love with the audiobook narration.

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dee97'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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

As a depressed girlie working in the tech world, this book hit a little too close to home. It is one of those books that gets under your skin. I was so deeply affected by this book, the writing is bleak and the author uses magic realism namely a “black hole “ to highlight the depressing atmosphere. Every thing Cassie felt , i have felt at some point and i was unsettled by the end. The theme of loneliness, class difference, mental health, lunacy of the cooperate world and the existential dread is brilliantly handled . This will stay with me for a long time.

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baratheonbooks's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad medium-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

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bookrokosmos's review against another edition

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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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micareads123's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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