Reviews with content warning for Injury/Injury detail - Tampa

I was genuinely conflicted on how to rate this book. While a horrible book in its subject and perspective, the writing was well done in making me truly feel like I was in Celestes mind and be completely grossed out by her actions. The ending (pause for spoilers)

was extremely well done and while I wished she ended up being treated in jail equal or worse to how she treated kids, it was a more realistic and sobering version of the story.

If you think you can handle the story and enjoy being subjected to twisted mindsets in books, this was an amazing book to read.

Content Warnings

madelinequinnee's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow, that was truly disgusting.

Tampa does a great job showing the realities of female predators, and how their gender and looks can make them go about their ways completely unseen, and once they’re caught, getting lighter punishments purely because they’re women. This was horrific and hard to read, but I also think really important.

The writing was impeccable, and the portrayal of an unreliable narrator was done really well.

Please check trigger warnings before reading because this is very dark and explicit

Content Warnings

evdark's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark fast-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

3.5

The writing was gripping, and the reason the book was written was important, but the author absolutely failed to deliver the message she set out to achieve. It is based on a true story of a teacher that had sex with her 14-year-old pupil in 2005. Nutting wants to make a point that young men are never seen as victims of sexual assault, and it is too easy to forgive the woman in the situation. Which is exactly how I felt after reading the book. Having just read Lolita, the standard might be set a little high. Psychologically, I can tell this author wanted to be provocative and maybe even erotic but did not truly understand the mindset she was trying to convey in the female pedophile and ended up taking a very male stance to this. Stalking. Obsession with semen. Souvenirs and pornography. It didn't feel authentic to a female pedaphile and this author was just winging it. It was well-written but poorly crafted, and it made me feel icky after reading it even though I have no problem with any of the graphic sex, I had a problem with almost everything else. It did the worst thing a book can do. It wasted my time. The ending was downright awful.

Content Warnings