Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin

16 reviews

gralicia's review

dark 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

I absolutely loved this! There were a few dark detours down Mona's memories that were confronting, but important.

I thought the 4 chapters based on different interactions and characters was a great way to pace the book; almost 4 short stories that interwove.

I just read that there is a sequel and I'll be heading out to find it asap!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

laurakfinnegan's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Self harm, Pedophilia, Drug use, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Toxic relationship

starsandgutters's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I love female protagonists who feel like they’re constantly toeing the precipice of entirely unhinged.

More vibes than plot, and most of the plot tends to be the unfolding of other people’s lives that Mona is just a witness to, nicely enforcing how stagnant and stuck she feels in her life.

Very strong narrative voice, and some absolute BANGERS of lines in here.

Darkly humorous, quietly perceptive, keenly human in the grittiest ways. 

Would have rated this higher for the writing, but minus points for unnecessary use of slurs and racism - kept waiting for a consequence to this but it never came, and personally feel there’s never a need for authors to be throwing around slurs they can’t reclaim.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs

arianaf's review against another edition

dark funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

"Usually she enjoyed a good oven cleaner buzz, but just then she wanted to pull a Sylvia Plath."

Who else read this because of the big hole left by Big Swiss? This one, way darker, darker themes, darker characters but the same kind of humour and mundane descriptions of a day-to-day life of a mentally unstable woman, that (hopefully) you can't relate in many levels, but you're still rooting for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicidal thoughts

marcostorin's review against another edition

dark emotional funny slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Suicide, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Pedophilia, Rape, and Stalking

james10's review against another edition

dark emotional funny

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Child abuse, and Addiction

caterpillarkat's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Incest, Addiction, Drug use, and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, and Self harm

bayleaff's review against another edition

4.25

I loved this book. The way it was structured into a handful of almost self-contained vignettes made it extremely readable, and Mona's weird brain made it even more so. Some reviews say the book is crass, and it is, but in such a casual and specific way that it doesn't feel gratuitous, just honest. It's dark and funny and hard to swallow, but I loved it and I'm excited to read its sequel (and possibly even re-read her most recent title). I'd recommend this to fans of Emily Austin and Melissa Broder.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Self harm, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Incest, and Mental illness

megancholic's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Child abuse