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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A real telling of one side of life growing up surrounded by tech and social media. And the damage it causes.
But the overly negative spin made it rather clichéd.
But the overly negative spin made it rather clichéd.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought the beginning was visceral and immersive and made good use of first person pronouns - hard to pull off imo.
Throughout the book there is a dark undertow of themes exploring internet addiction/ porn addiction, sexual assault and wrestling with your own identity post trauma - I could at first relate to the metaphor of a growing hole in the body after each shitty experience, eating you up inside, and imagined or hoped this would take a magical realism turn. I was looking forward to being surprised by the middle ending- as the beginning set me up so well for this journey. Instead the whole thing becomes incredibly young-adult fiction core, growing up along side your soulmate, finding ‘the one’, etc etc. Idk, I think it could have been so much more subversive. I read it and I enjoyed it for what it was. But it could be SO GOOD. Maybe I’m just not the audience for it. But sad :-(
Throughout the book there is a dark undertow of themes exploring internet addiction/ porn addiction, sexual assault and wrestling with your own identity post trauma - I could at first relate to the metaphor of a growing hole in the body after each shitty experience, eating you up inside, and imagined or hoped this would take a magical realism turn. I was looking forward to being surprised by the middle ending- as the beginning set me up so well for this journey. Instead the whole thing becomes incredibly young-adult fiction core, growing up along side your soulmate, finding ‘the one’, etc etc. Idk, I think it could have been so much more subversive. I read it and I enjoyed it for what it was. But it could be SO GOOD. Maybe I’m just not the audience for it. But sad :-(
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
dark
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you, Net Galley and Canongate, for the opportunity to read and review this arc.
This honestly might have to be the most haunting read of the year for me. The story was written and progressed in such a way that it felt as though the author had insight into the lives of myself and many other girls growing up online at a young age. The fact that it had been written in second person further contributed to this feeling as déjà vu or nostalgia at reminiscing upon those early formative years online. Even down to the usage of the hole as a device for the protagonist’s trauma and losing parts of herself had been tactfully depicted.
This honestly might have to be the most haunting read of the year for me. The story was written and progressed in such a way that it felt as though the author had insight into the lives of myself and many other girls growing up online at a young age. The fact that it had been written in second person further contributed to this feeling as déjà vu or nostalgia at reminiscing upon those early formative years online. Even down to the usage of the hole as a device for the protagonist’s trauma and losing parts of herself had been tactfully depicted.
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book serves as both a time capsule for a very specific window of time - when social media was in its infancy and young people had access to it without fully appreciating its dangers - and a warning to everyone, but especially parents, that vulnerable young person coming of age + completely unfiltered access to the internet/phones = long lasting psychological damage.
It felt weirdly real and unreal at the same time, like an alternative reality. Also, I found it very readable and burned through it.
However, the protagonist refusing to relate to anyone or communicate openly got quite frustrating and repetitive.
It felt weirdly real and unreal at the same time, like an alternative reality. Also, I found it very readable and burned through it.
However, the protagonist refusing to relate to anyone or communicate openly got quite frustrating and repetitive.