Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

47 reviews

okiecozyreader's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Big Swiss reminded me of Goodnight Beautiful. Both are about a person who overheard (in this case transcribes) psychiatric (here, sexual therapy) sessions and develops thoughts about the clients.

I thought the audiobook was fantastic with 5 narrators. Told from the viewpoint of Greta, who lives with her dog and her friend Sabine in a dilapidated farmhouse in the Catskills. She transcribes sessions from a sex coach, Om, and goes to locations where his clients may hang out and tries to recognize them by their initials. She becomes fascinated by one in particular from Switzerland who she nicknames Big Swiss. 

I was fascinated by these interesting characters and curious where the story would go. The last chapter was interesting from Om’s POV? But the very ending ???? 

LGBTQ bi-sexual main characters
Unreliable narrator
Unlikable characters
Trauma and abuse 
Suicide

Read with the Bad Bitch Bookclub and a zoom with the author.

“People age horribly - they suffer strokes, their bodies and brains fall apart, but the male ego, fully intact until the bitter end.” Ch 2

“Greta considered her own behavior among red flags. Her habit was not to ignore them so much as to ingest them.” Ch 4

“… human relationships were pure folly, because nothing was ever perfectly mutual. One person always liked or loved the other person a little more than they were liked or loved. And sometimes it was a lot more and sometimes the tables turned and you found yourself on the other side. But it was never, ever equal. And that was pretty much the only thing you could count on in life. This went for relationships between friends, siblings, lovers, spouses, even parents and their children too.” Ch 18

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent

maureenlessreen's review against another edition

Vivid violence against women & misogyny 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Trafficking, and Stalking

_bttrlvng's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

marywadesy's review against another edition

dark funny medium-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

2.5

I understand that the main character is supposed to be unlikeable, but I think it’s pretty disappointing to see racism and use of the r-word in a book. I believe there are ways to write about an unlikeable character without using slurs or racist descriptions. The premise of the book is really fun and unique, and I love the queer rep, but those elements still left a really bad taste in my mouth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Ableism

toffishay's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

3.0

I found this book engaging, but in a strange way, it also didn't really jump out to me. A lot of it washed over me. Greta is an interesting, conflicting character and the relationship at the center was so strange, that I had to keep reading. But it was also gone from me once I set the book down. I could see other folks really connecting with this though. I think if you really liked My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, then you would really like this one too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

alygoel16's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Stalking

adavidson37's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.0

I was lucky enough to receive this book early from Dart Frogg & Scribner, as my first ever arc! Big Swiss isn’t the type of book I would normally find myself choosing, but let me tell you, once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. It hooked me in immediately. It felt like some mix between the Netflix series Sex Education (with the sex therapy shenanigans, & weird af sex stories), and the book Detransition, Baby (with the tone, dry wit, & bluntness of the writing, and also just adults in messy crises), and just the general vibe of the Hudson Valley (ifykyk).

The main character of this book is messy- every character in this book is, honestly. It’s about life and lies and guilt and sexuality and aging. Its about bees and dogs and mini donkeys. It’s a book I definitely would recommend to people.

I would throw a TW on this book for domestic/sexual assault that is described in detail by the victim, frequent mentions of the suicide of a character we never meet, suicidal ideation by the main character, and graphic injury of a dog.

A big thank you to Dart Frogg & Scribner for sending me the arc of this book to share on TikTok (@shoptywl)!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts