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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
1.5 stars. This was not queer Bridget Jones, it was queer 50 shades, and by that I mean it was a portrait of abuse and coercion. It’s a shame that there were some recognizable aspects of queer culture in here because I don’t want that to scare people off. Neither of the main characters were particularly likeable to me either.
emotional
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Minor: Self harm
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
De eerste 120 pagina's was dit idd erg grappig en sexy en een soort lesbische Bridget Jones. Daarna volgde helaas nog zo'n 200 pagina's aan ongezonde relatie (maar niet echt op een boeiende manier: als je eenmaal zelf een keer therapie hebt gehad worden de keuzes van deze hoofdpersoon snel ergerlijk). Heel veel herhaling. Zelfs alle fistscènes werden na zoveel keer toch echt wel een beetje saai.
In At the Deep End is about Julia, a single, sexually frustrated woman in London. She goes to a party, hooks up with a girl and (very quickly) realizes she's a lesbian. She meets Sam, her girlfriend, who is emotionally abusive and manipulative. This was difficult to get through because it lacked substance. There was no purpose to it; it was just a lot of graphic sex scenes and gaslighting. I enjoyed Julia's relationships with Alice, Dave, Owen, and her parents, but other than that, this was a poor coming-out/coming-of-age story.
Thanks Goodreads giveaways and the author for sending me an ARC for my honest review.
Thanks Goodreads giveaways and the author for sending me an ARC for my honest review.
I was super excited to read a book with such visible and unapologetic queer content. I generally liked it, but was put off by a few instances of transmisogyny that I couldn't shake. When one character lists off her sexual partners, it's many cis women, some trans men, and some cis men. This is odd for a lesbian, and weird to mention transness without her having trans women partners (like why not just say men then, why separate out trans men?). And later the main character says a particular woman at a bar is attractive and then learns she is a drag queen and makes mention of her physical traits that should have "clued her in" while her friends razz her. Gross.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Julia figures out her sexuality and falls into an abusive relationship with a domineering artist. There is a lot of humor in the story, mostly at the expense of Julia’s civil service job, but dark undercurrents develop as she meets Sam. Sam turns into a controlling freak, taking everything away from Julia.
It started out well, with Julia deciding men were not her thing. Being a virgin queer woman had some humorous moments. The toxic relationship that develops is a disturbing look into how easily people can be manipulated in the name of ‘love.’ Without the lighter moments with Julia’s friends, this would have been a most depressing novel.
It started out well, with Julia deciding men were not her thing. Being a virgin queer woman had some humorous moments. The toxic relationship that develops is a disturbing look into how easily people can be manipulated in the name of ‘love.’ Without the lighter moments with Julia’s friends, this would have been a most depressing novel.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No