Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

194 reviews

majca's review against another edition

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

2.5

It feels wrong to say it here, but this was a disappointment. What I was expecting was a disturbing story of a twisted, complicated mind and a nuanced examination of pedophilia explored through the perspective of a woman and society's view on it. 

What I got was some nasty descriptive imagery that bordered on ridiculous. Once the novelty of that wore off a shocking amount of boredom followed. Cause the main character is entirely one dimensional, having a single minded purpose of foking teen boys. That doesn't make for a very compelling read at all if the book has nothing else going on. Cause the side characters as well failed to elicit an emotional response in me, and the language too was unremarkable. 

There were hints there that could have made for a compelling social commentary, but those weren't explored beyond a few brief sentences. 

You are foul to me and I just wallpapered my cervix with the name of a teenage boy.

Okay, I guess...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Fatphobia, and Drug abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

tallerding's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

amswimmy's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

fucked !!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Blood

nataliagolicova's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Truly a dark and disturbing read. This book made me sick which is exactly what it was supposed to do. This really helped open my eyes to how society treats female  predetors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

kirsty_irwin's review against another edition

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcohol and Violence

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, and Child abuse

stanleykaty's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

12_gon's review

dark funny sad 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

3.0

It's a gender-swapped 'Lolita', but swap Humbert's slick talking with Celeste Price's sex appeal. Celeste Price is just a pretty white lady who loves molesting teenage boys. Through benevolent sexism and sheer lust from others, she evades major punishment and any real accountability.

I assume Alissa Nutting's message with the book is a feminist one, showing that women and men can be equally depraved. Although the tone of the book indicates a sly self-awareness, tempting the reader to ponder if Nutting takes some glee in knowing that Price and many women can hide their culpability behind their gender. But I'm just a girl uWu, not a predator. Where men are naturally seen as aggressors, women are seen as submissive and lacking autonomy. As goes the patriarchy I suppose. This patriarchal, binary view of justice alleviates women of mens rea. Behind all great men, including those who achieved great evil, are great women... so it's really his fault cause I'm just a girl <3

It's a good book, but the message is tiresome to me and I imagine to anyone else exhausted by overvaluation of gender in most every interaction we have. Plus I do think 'Lolita' is seen as most to be pro-child sexual abuse, so whenever you try to bring it up in conversation, you'll spend 5-15 minutes explaining how the book doesn't actively encourage people to molest kids to some one who has totally read the book (/s). So it's nice to have an alternative book, with a similar message to avoid the stupidity of dishonest people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Child abuse

moohue's review

challenging dark reflective tense 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

3.5

main character seemed almost comically obsessed with sex? most of the book was really just pedo fantasies or smut which seemed unnecessary, but other than that the writing made this book interesting

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

your_poisonous_flower's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

vrsmith0429's review

challenging dark tense 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

1.75

This was well written but the content was just too heavy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Pedophilia