Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

221 reviews

moriarty94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book really struck me. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about it.

Irina sucks. She's a horrible person. She is mean and self-centered, dehumanizing and manipulating everyone around her. She gives very little thought to the consequences of her actions, with one very notable exception.

I feel bad for everyone who has the misfortune of interacting with Irina. Why does Flo hang on after all these years? What could she possibly love about Irina, or the way Irina treats her? Why would Finch want to hang around her, after seeing how she treats Flow and hearing Irina's critique of his photos.

Irina's decisions stressed me out. She put herself in so many dangerous situations, and then tried to brush them off. She is such a misandrist (which I understand, to an extent, after some of her experiences), but is also subject to patriarchal standards of beauty and female behavior - and projects that onto everyone else. Irina seems to hate men, objectifying them and physically hurting them whenever she can. But she her hatred and objectification of other women only seems to be mental and emotional.

This detestable and unreliable narrator made for an interesting story. It made me wildly uncomfortable, made me think, and made me set it down and take a lap after a particularly gory description of self-harm. Irina was right when she said,

"I wonder what the fuck I have to do for people to recognize me as a threat?"

 

Had Irina been a man, her models would not have hidden their fear or hurt behind haughty fake masculinity - or fear of being turned in to the police for assault.

No one saw Irina as a threat because she was pretty and skinny and talented. They saw her as a conquest until it was too late. And Irina took advantage of that, even when she hated it.

Overall I really liked this book. It was a harsh reminder that people make poor choices when it comes to people we love(d) or want to love/notice/have sex with us. I do wonder what happened to Mr. B - I think he knew

the Polaroids were real and he cut himself off for fear of being implicated

. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

editorgrrl's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Irina (or did her mam name her “Irene”?) is a painfully thin female bisexual Patrick Bateman (complete with business cards and cleaning products) from Northern England.

An unreliable narrator, she drops names, watches ultra violent films, and wishes she were a stone cold bitch rather than a plumber’s daughter who’s only working part time at a seedy bar so that her mam will continue to pay half her rent.

If you hate unlikable characters, this is not the book for you. I found it darkly humorous, and a little sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Self harm

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Vomit

robbie_d94's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

3.75

I'm quite a tough reviewer with 3.75 being categorised as "Excellent" in my review matrix. I found this book extremely funny while being equally disturbing as the main character becomes increasly disassociated through the book. Would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

dark emotional funny relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Took off 0.25 cus she killed the kitty

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

milanaradic's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, and Murder

alex_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

sweethibe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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

4.5

Therapy isn't enough, Irina needs a psych ward. I think I'm also in love

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

scruffbucketragamuffin's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

shadysands's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. It gave me American psycho vibes but with the gender roles reversed. Unreliable narrator where it is not sure what is real or not. Interesting to consider the lack of consequences she seemingly gets as a woman, where a man would be chastised. Brings in thrmes relating to power structures. A unique look into how traumas can transgress into adulthood- exploring female rage, sexuality and lack of true connection. Interesting view  of women as lacking real danger, and the comparisons made in the book to Ted Bundy likens to the idea of 'pretty privledge' as a cover.

Also interesting in the context of kink art and exploring the line between artistic expression and exploitation of subjects.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

ciaraohara's review against another edition

1.5

This is a confusing one bc on one hand this is such a well written book. The attention to detail and the understanding that Eliza Clark shows of narcissism and narcissistic cycles of abuse is amazing, and the writing was really captivating. Each and every character was developed so well and appropriately given that they were seen through Irina’s eyes, and her portrayal of people on drugs was also (I am told) very accurate and very well done. 

The reason for my rating being so low is unfortunately just that I found the book so triggering bc of my own experiences which !! is not super fun. I don’t feel I can rate a book higher if it caused me so much genuine distress, no matter how good the writing is. However I thought that it was thought provoking and well written and I would read more by her - provided that I look up the content warnings first. 

I’m sorry for the low rating Eliza Clark, please do not beef me ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Transphobia