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gmariecosta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Death, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Biphobia and Racism
spectre_warden's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
People who may like this book:
hate Japanese people,
have only seen male gaze lesbian porn,
have never had a healthy relationship with anyone,
hate character development,
still use the 'R' word in 2024,
and know they need therapy but refuse to go.
Graphic: Infidelity, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Biphobia, Suicide, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Rape, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism
anniesher23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
The one thing I’ll give this book is that the writer is definitely talented. She was clearly doing something with all the animal/insect characters and the symbolism of the janky house, but I just wasn’t invested enough in the story to care. Just like, pick a different story next time.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Racism
silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Greta considered her own behaviour around red flags. Her habit was not to ignore them so much as to ingest them, a somewhat laborious mental production that involved placing them in a stockpot with butter, herbs, and mirepoix; cooking over low heat without browning; adding red meat, additional red flags, a jug of red wine; and voilà, four hours at a lazy simmer later, an extremely rich red-flag stew that she forked into her mouth every day like a fucking moron, sometimes for years on end.
Oh no... I hate to do this but I should have seen the signs when in the first few pages we were making horribly racist comments (particularly about Japanese and Chinese people), making fun of anorexics (trigger warnings would have been appreciated) and strangely glamorising suicide.
I had such high expectations for this book! It had so much potential when it came to humorously discussing some very morbid and taboo topics but instead, it turned into a very uncomfortable semi-erotic, semi-thriller novel. It failed at the thrill, it failed at the romance, it failed at the eroticism and it did not even begin the discussion of important topics like relationships, infidelity, suicide, depression, therapy and trauma.
I am not sure I have ever given a book 1 star, but there is a first time for everything and I believe it is well deserved in this case. The 1 star is being awarded solely to the beautiful US cover and its designer; it's the only thing Big Swiss has going for it. I am so incredibly thankful I decided to check this out of the library because I would have probably torn the sex-scene pages out if it were my own copy... they were so unpleasant to read. Not to mention that I am generally fine with erotic scenes! I will never be able to get the image of a slightly moist origami rose between a woman's peach-fuzz-covered legs out of my head. Thank you, Jen Beagin, for making me hate both origami and peaches now (though the latter was ruined by Call Me By Your Name a while ago).
Anyway, I somewhat regret pushing through this sorry excuse for literature, but at least I can confidently say that it sucked and I truly truly TRULY do not understand the hype here... how many trees have been sacrificed for this exactly? I would like to petition for their restoration; they didn't deserve this.
Graphic: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Excrement, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Racism, Blood, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Sexism, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Addiction, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death, Cursing, Violence, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
plumdustsuns's review against another edition
0.25
There was no linear string of concentration. Went from flavia’s trauma to random affair to Greta’s random descent into jealousy without showing that she had a tendency to be as much and that her mom was the same way. The blasé way of ‘I didn’t care that my mother offed herself’ in the last therapy session versus her using and being bogged down and sad by this trauma was not only conflicting but distasteful. Also Om randomly caring about her when she’s just his transcriptionist and his care/their friendship not even being handled before?? It’s not plausible/would have made for a better plot line and betrayal and made sense when he offered her sessions if they were friends or friendly. He said ‘Lmao’ when she said her house was cold and rain was coming in. And he suddenly cares?
And Keith was made out to be such a big deal and the stalker narrative and it barely did anything/added anything into the story? It wasn’t even resolved in the end properly?
Greta saying she had been SA’ed but it never coming up for her own intimacy issues? And it was just an offhand mention??
Also racist humour and just… so much wrong with this book, man. And how Flavia reacts to/keeps coming back to Greta doesn’t quite make sense. Also Greta gaslighting Flavia that adultery was worse than what she did? No???
Absolute fucking disappointment. Just a lazy and unfocused book.
Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Stalking, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Self harm, Drug use, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Racism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Physical abuse
calicos's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
there were also a number of unnecessary casually racist comments about asian people.
Graphic: Physical abuse and Infidelity
Moderate: Stalking, Death of parent, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Biphobia, Racism, and Lesbophobia
readinglobster's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Racism
beccavivian's review against another edition
Graphic: Violence and Suicide
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
m0llip0p's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Biphobia
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Toxic relationship