Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Acts of Desperation

I recently found out that a new favorite genre of mine is “delulu females”, I thought this would be another but really it just gave me haunting reflections of my past. Not everything was the same, obviously, but feelings and scenarios of my youth in similar situations mirrored this unnamed narrator. I feel like when I started really liking the book it fell off and just stayed flat for me.

Content Warnings

ola_oreiba's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark slow-paced

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

0.5

I should’ve know from the name but I could never imagine for the life of me that someone could be so desperate. It was so jarring to read and I’ve never been this verbally furious at a protagonist before.

Reading Acts of Desperation felt like someone with ADHD that has to sit though someone telling them a bad story ever so slowly, it triggers all their senses and turns into pure rage.

At times, I really wanted to sympathize with her and there were a couple of paragraphs and moments/thoughts towards the end that I vaguely agreed with but it couldn’t justify the prolonged and continued suffering for nothing.

It annoyed me how the story was chaotic but predictable at the same time although I cannot fault the writing stylistically. It’s just the whole idea of the book is just pushing how desperate someone can be and how deep into desperation they can go and I think in that sense Megan Nolan is a completionist. Nobody can be more desperate.

Content Warnings

toma_'s review

Go to review page

sad tense medium-paced

Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I have 30% left of this book and do I recommend you read it no. It’s very sexual and this lady has lost her mind. She is confused between her desires and her purpose. I also think that I will need to reread the book to grasp the ideas better since I can’t relate what so ever. It does talk about love in a way that I was not exposed to interesting but it’s kinda heartbreaking bs her life revolves around 3 things: a man, drinking, and s word. The authors style is really good considering the characters are not the most polished, I still cared for them and they felt real to me. I’ll tell you my rating if I have one once I’m done and I’m going to remove this book from my Goodreads since I’m not proud I read it and I don’t want people to read it because of me

Content Warnings

frostedpetals's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Content Warnings

estella44's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad slow-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

3.75

I found in this book a shared culture of female identity. There were phrases or passages that struck me in a way because I felt that all women in particular could relate. I was reading a story about someone and their lives; someone who I personally had no connection with (I don't live in the same city, share the same habit, or have the same connections). Yet the feelings expressed, the experiences with men at times, and the inner most thoughts, all seemed to resonate with me. I've found myself in situations similar, or I've had feelings similar. I know I didn't love this book, but I know it was something I didn't regret reading. Following this woman on her journey of life, love, self, etc. felt like camaraderie of sorts.

Quotes I loved:

"I was not without value, but the value I held was not the kind I wanted to hold, and I did not know how to exchange it."

"In fact, I wanted to want them, would have loved to live a life like that. Or rather I would have loved to appear to live a life like that. All the things that Lisa did for her own genuine pleasure were things I thought looked good, things I didn’t want for their own sake. I thought a life that looked that way– clean and gentle and high- minded– would get me what I truly wanted, which was to do with having as much of people as possible, their attention, their desire, their curiosity."

Content Warnings

jazzmarie22's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging reflective sad tense medium-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

2.5

Content Warnings

seizuredreading's review against another edition

Go to review page

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? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to say she’s a dummy bitch & leave it be, but…

FL is complicated. Yes, it’s probable to say that her thoughts and reasoning are hard to follow, but I guess that’s the human condition at such an age, in said situations. Mind her life could’ve gotten far worse than her choices had led her.
While this is a determining factor of DNF qualifications, I implore the few to power through. Interestingly reflective as FL comes to her own in the world.

Content Warnings

literary_fey's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

1.0

Content Warnings

More...