Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

21 reviews

natashax1997's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Having suffered from depression and working a corporate job this book was so relatable to me. It really captured a lot of my own feelings about working a job in a city and how bleak our capitalist society is. Definitely not one to read if you're currently depressed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Abortion, and Fire/Fire injury

errie's review against another edition

dark emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Abortion, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicide, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

caroisreading's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

This book laid bare all the wounds of my own tech startup traumas. You could read this seriously, or with the levity of dark comedy that it's sold as. It's so exact in its descriptions, the desperate conversations, branded swag, agonizing all-hands, diversity metrics (lack thereof), the hostile undertones that erupt eventually. I felt massive anxiety and nausea reading this. 

Cassie is a marketing writer at Voyager, a user data startup promising ROI for its customers. She is far from home, not happy in San Francisco, barely affording rent and needing to buy outlet groceries despite being "senior" in a big tech job. Every day is a new nightmare, as she works endless hours and performs, to be told she's not performing. She relies on drugs, and a half-relationship with a chef, who admits he and his girlfriend are trying an open relationship. Throughout her life, she is followed by a black hole that grows and shrinks. She becomes infatuated with black hole research. 

Sarah Rose Etter is a talented writer, and doesn't hold back in her relentless descriptions of late-stage capitalism, have and have-nots, sexism, depression, the helplessness and bitterness of an entire generation trying to survive pandemics and a housing crisis.

I had a hard time sorting through the many metaphors being thrown at us -- fruit and seeds, black holes and space, fire and filth, bloody meat, singularity. On top of this, dictionary definitions marked each chapter, which felt oddly campy and a bit of a disservice to the quality of the writing. All of this made for a distracting read, when I really just wanted to sit in the heart of the rage and recollections of our disintegrating narrator. 

This is also a cast of horrible people that you'll need to be fine with hating. Even with Cassie, who endures verbal abuse at home and at work, you'll likely become frustrated, and belabored with the self pity displayed on each page. 

You should still give this a try if you're okay mentally with a lot of depressing and triggering content, have survived the woman-in-tech experience (weak laugh), and like trippy, unstable narrator reads. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Bullying, Infertility, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, and Addiction

pasadenaellie's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

is this a “a surreal journey through our late-capitalist hellscape and 
 a brilliantly incisive look at the absurdities of modern life,” or is it just what it’s like to live in san francisco?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Suicide, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

itsagivan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Self harm

virgcole398's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense 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

4.75

If you’re struggling with your mental health or healing from narcissistic abuse, please don’t read this book. It just hit too close to home…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicide, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Police brutality, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

annagerman's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

An exploration of life under late capitalism. A quintessentially millennial novel, about mental health, dating and love, friendship and familial ties, social and financial inequality, disillusionment from the "dream job", and corporate greed.
This story manages to explore so many different aspects and difficulties of modern life without being shallow, in a nuanced sensitive way.
I loved the writing, it was wry and sharp yet poignant. The use of magical realism was done just right,  reflecting the complexities of the MC's inner-monologue. The structure of the chapters was also interesting.
I really felt for Cassie. Her views were definitely warped by her mental state, but I still found myself relating to many of her observations. The descriptions of depression and anxiety, and even suicidal indentations, were done particularly well. They are complex and subtle, yet emotionally charged and unsettling.

Verdict - 4.5\5 black holes.
A compelling, complex and absorbing read, tackling major issues, with a touch of magical realism and dark humor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Medical content and Suicide

tajosima's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

Chapter 21: I knew I had to buy this book.
The way I feel about this book is the way I felt about The Bell Jar when I read it when I was younger. Now I’m older and I have Ripe to describe how i feel

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Excrement, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Blood, Abortion, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infertility, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Racism

sophia_'s review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Abortion, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Alcoholism, Addiction, Excrement, Classism, and Bullying

biobeetle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit