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eileenmccoy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-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
4.25
A truly messed up book that has a lot to say about our society and how our legal system just continues to let people like this walk free.
While I wouldn’t recommend this book to anybody, I would say that it’s an important and necessary book.
While I wouldn’t recommend this book to anybody, I would say that it’s an important and necessary book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Drug use, Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
buzzard's review
dark
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? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug use, Grief, Stalking, and Violence
rosie_reader's review
dark
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
This might have been a well written book and perhaps I'm just not "enlightened" enough, but the graphic descriptions of sex with children were too vile for me to look past. There would have been a way to portray a disgusting pedophile effectively without such stomach-turning detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, and Mental illness
clarice_flora's review against another edition
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
An interesting concept, but quite disturbing to read and not the most well written. Still easy to read in a day or two and unlike many books before.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Child abuse
thebigemmt505's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
(CW) Don’t read this review if you don’t know anything about this book ; there will be lots of mentions of horrible taboos and horrific acts, specifically sexual violence.
This is one of the most disgusting, predatory, uncomfortable, unacceptable, depraved pieces of literature I have ever read. I thought it was pretty good!
A Lolita-type novel from the female point of view isn’t unheard of but certainly less common than stories involving male predators (which, in fairness, does reflect reality), so this book brings an interesting (if disturbing) concept to the table. What keeps the book from being completely unreadable garbage or entirely rape-porn is…
1) Celeste as a character is not only intentionally funny and occasionally cracks jokes that have a tendency to make me nervously laugh then cringe, but her narrative at times is often so over the top and obsessive it becomes comedic. Her droning on about how fixated she is with the bodily fluids of teen boys is far from fun to read, but often becomes as funny as it is distressing because of just how relentlessly obsessed she is. Not to mention how much a MATERIAL GWORL she is, getting depressed over not having expensive skin care products in…well…spoiler situations.
2) There is important commentary on the way women are seen when they are predators vs how men are seen. Obviously men have a MUCH higher tendency towards predations, particularly when it comes to pedophilia, but there is far from an absence of women who prey on children and when they are outed, those why were preyed upon are seen as “lucky” or as if they “wanted it” much more than for those who were preyed on by men. There’s a really dangerous double standard in general, as when we see women so horrific acts it’s often much more of a spectacle. “How could someone so attractive do this?!” “I bet the victims wanted/enjoyed this. You know teen boys!” “Oh my god, a WOMAN sociopath?’ Unheard of!” And so on.
I do have critiques though. While in reading this book I obviously signed up for disturbing sexual content, I REALLY did not need to read multiple graphic scenes of statutory rape. One or two get the point across, and even then it still felt a bit too much. Also , I do think the end of the book started to feel a bit rushed and messy, and Jack’s presence during the climax of the novel isn’t ever FULLY and TRULY explained in my opinion.
Overall this was an interesting read, but I feel a strong desire to take a shower and bleach my eyes now that I’ve finished it. I can’t say it horrified me or even disturbed me like it aimed to ; I more just felt uncomfortable and surprised at how over the top it is. I do recommend it though if you have the stomach.
This is one of the most disgusting, predatory, uncomfortable, unacceptable, depraved pieces of literature I have ever read. I thought it was pretty good!
A Lolita-type novel from the female point of view isn’t unheard of but certainly less common than stories involving male predators (which, in fairness, does reflect reality), so this book brings an interesting (if disturbing) concept to the table. What keeps the book from being completely unreadable garbage or entirely rape-porn is…
1) Celeste as a character is not only intentionally funny and occasionally cracks jokes that have a tendency to make me nervously laugh then cringe, but her narrative at times is often so over the top and obsessive it becomes comedic. Her droning on about how fixated she is with the bodily fluids of teen boys is far from fun to read, but often becomes as funny as it is distressing because of just how relentlessly obsessed she is. Not to mention how much a MATERIAL GWORL she is, getting depressed over not having expensive skin care products in…well…spoiler situations.
2) There is important commentary on the way women are seen when they are predators vs how men are seen. Obviously men have a MUCH higher tendency towards predations, particularly when it comes to pedophilia, but there is far from an absence of women who prey on children and when they are outed, those why were preyed upon are seen as “lucky” or as if they “wanted it” much more than for those who were preyed on by men. There’s a really dangerous double standard in general, as when we see women so horrific acts it’s often much more of a spectacle. “How could someone so attractive do this?!” “I bet the victims wanted/enjoyed this. You know teen boys!” “Oh my god, a WOMAN sociopath?’ Unheard of!” And so on.
I do have critiques though. While in reading this book I obviously signed up for disturbing sexual content, I REALLY did not need to read multiple graphic scenes of statutory rape. One or two get the point across, and even then it still felt a bit too much.
Overall this was an interesting read, but I feel a strong desire to take a shower and bleach my eyes now that I’ve finished it. I can’t say it horrified me or even disturbed me like it aimed to ; I more just felt uncomfortable and surprised at how over the top it is. I do recommend it though if you have the stomach.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
emarrbee's review
challenging
dark
medium-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Drug use
malizard666's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Pedophilia
kiahsbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
Wow. What a disturbing book. I couldn’t put it down though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
rebelstorm's review against another edition
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
1.0
I won't be doing my usual rating thing this time. Because... NO.
I'll start off by saying - this is my subjective opinion. If you love this book, my dislike of this book is not a personal attack, I don't hate you and I don't think you're a horrible person. We all like and enjoy different books, it just happens that I hate this... "book".
Ok... I picked up Tampa for shits and giggles. I read the first chapter when the book first came out and I remember having a laugh. But, oh boy, I was not laughing by the end of it.
Here's the thing... I've read Lolita, yes, it gave me the creeps, made me feel icky but at least Lolita was beautifully written. Tampa? Tampa reads like a bad smut that want's to be edgy. Writing is just not good. I was bored, disgusted, bored again and even more disgusted. There are a lot of books with awful main characters. Like You, Gone Girl, Lolita... Tampa's Celeste has zero redeeming qualities. The character goes on and on and on and on and on and on about stuff that doesn't matter, like how her poop smell. Seriously... I feel like Tampa was written just to be disgusting. Characters learn nothing, what's the point?
Thank God this is over. It will feel so good to delete this awful thing from my e-reader.
I'll start off by saying - this is my subjective opinion. If you love this book, my dislike of this book is not a personal attack, I don't hate you and I don't think you're a horrible person. We all like and enjoy different books, it just happens that I hate this... "book".
Ok... I picked up Tampa for shits and giggles. I read the first chapter when the book first came out and I remember having a laugh. But, oh boy, I was not laughing by the end of it.
Here's the thing... I've read Lolita, yes, it gave me the creeps, made me feel icky but at least Lolita was beautifully written. Tampa? Tampa reads like a bad smut that want's to be edgy. Writing is just not good. I was bored, disgusted, bored again and even more disgusted. There are a lot of books with awful main characters. Like You, Gone Girl, Lolita... Tampa's Celeste has zero redeeming qualities. The character goes on and on and on and on and on and on about stuff that doesn't matter, like how her poop smell. Seriously... I feel like Tampa was written just to be disgusting. Characters learn nothing, what's the point?
Thank God this is over. It will feel so good to delete this awful thing from my e-reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
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