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taylorscally's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
4.25
A few things were a bit strange IMO (ie. Lucy’s password and her smurf obsession?). Overall a fairly enjoyable read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Sexual content
elyssathelibrarian's review against another edition
1.0
DNF after 50% because I couldn't tolerate the constant harping about how Lucy is sooo tiny. The tiniest. It was becoming a little creepy, really. Plus there was quite a bit of blatant fatphobia—Lucy literally calls her boss "Fat Little Dick"—among a slew of other problematic things.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Stalking, Fatphobia, and Body shaming
Minor: Racial slurs
landawn's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
- Lucy is annoying and oblivious.
- the MCs’ main characteristics are their size/height.
- the progression from enemies to lovers is so abrupt and could easily have been harassment/assault.
- the MCs’ main characteristics are their size/height.
- the progression from enemies to lovers is so abrupt and could easily have been harassment/assault.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual harassment
micaela_ru's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Toxic, sexist trash that casually includes ableist and racist slurs, jokes about the deaths of sex workers, fatphobia, toxic masculinity, rape culture and nonconsensual acts played as sexy. DNF @ 20%. The MC is an entitled childish brat who has internalized sexism and possibly homophobia and transphobia. The love interest is embodies textbook toxic masculinity. Clearly I'm not the target audience here. I don't think feeling physically threatened by a man three-times a woman's size is playful or sexy. Not to mention the stalking. They also have no chemistry and the book is boring and childish. This is the crap that is popular?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Stalking, Ableism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
emsim's review against another edition
Unfortunately, there was a lot of fatphobia, ableism, and sexual harassment in the first few chapters. Instant DNF.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Ableism
callmelefteye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Was looking for something quick and romantic and since I heard a lot about this book so I decided to listen to the audiobook. But I was overall disappointed (and a little disgusted) with it.
I'm a fan of enemies to lovers, but this one didn't really feel right. And I really didn't like the language the author used in describing the characters (the fatphobic comments for example). I also really didn't like the constant emphasis on how small and petite she was in comparison to how big he was. I get that's common, but in this book it turned my stomach and was reminiscent of pedophilia, especially when you think of how she's given childlike descriptions and interests with her toys and her PJ's. It really grossed me out and I wish I could take back what I streamed.
I'm a fan of enemies to lovers, but this one didn't really feel right. And I really didn't like the language the author used in describing the characters (the fatphobic comments for example). I also really didn't like the constant emphasis on how small and petite she was in comparison to how big he was. I get that's common, but in this book it turned my stomach and was reminiscent of pedophilia, especially when you think of how she's given childlike descriptions and interests with her toys and her PJ's. It really grossed me out and I wish I could take back what I streamed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia
Moderate: Pedophilia
chelsaat's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
90% of enemies-to-lovers books are just reimaginings of the Darcy + Lizzy dynamic. (The other 10% is Beatrice + Benedick.) After an accidental misunderstanding, heroine hates the hero, who is secretly in love with her the whole time. He continues to antagonize her either out of social awkwardness/anxiety, because she’s the only one who can match wits with him, or he just wants to stay in her life by any means necessary.
This goes on until some inciting incident, where the hero makes his feelings known. Girl is shocked!! But she’s been secretly horny for him this whole time too so it doesn’t take much convincing after some hemming and hawing. Guy usually has to do some very sweet stuff to make up for earlier mishaps. Cue the happily ever after!! (I used heternormative pronouns here, but swap these around depending on the type of romance.)
All of this is to say…The Hating Game is yet another entry into this dynamic. It’s doing nothing new with the trope here. Josh and Lucy have chemistry. They’re obviously lusting after each other from the get-go, but they’re rivals at work! They’re competing for the same promotion! Quelle horreur!
Usually I’d lap this shit up with a spoon. However….I hated every character in this book, Lucy especially. She’s fatphobic as hell and looks down on basically everyone. Really, you couldn’t make ONE single friend in the years you’ve lived in this city? That speaks to you more than other people, girl.
Then there’s the moment where she compared her car to the Black struggle by using an MLK quote, and I fully lost it. Honestly shocked I kept reading on, tbh. (That MLK mention is the only mention of a non-white person in this whole book, by the way.)
Mostly I just felt tired while reading this. Maybe I need a break from rom-coms for a while. There wasn’t any joy here for me.
This goes on until some inciting incident, where the hero makes his feelings known. Girl is shocked!! But she’s been secretly horny for him this whole time too so it doesn’t take much convincing after some hemming and hawing. Guy usually has to do some very sweet stuff to make up for earlier mishaps. Cue the happily ever after!! (I used heternormative pronouns here, but swap these around depending on the type of romance.)
All of this is to say…The Hating Game is yet another entry into this dynamic. It’s doing nothing new with the trope here. Josh and Lucy have chemistry. They’re obviously lusting after each other from the get-go, but they’re rivals at work! They’re competing for the same promotion! Quelle horreur!
Usually I’d lap this shit up with a spoon. However….I hated every character in this book, Lucy especially. She’s fatphobic as hell and looks down on basically everyone. Really, you couldn’t make ONE single friend in the years you’ve lived in this city? That speaks to you more than other people, girl.
Then there’s the moment where she compared her car to the Black struggle by using an MLK quote, and I fully lost it. Honestly shocked I kept reading on, tbh. (That MLK mention is the only mention of a non-white person in this whole book, by the way.)
Mostly I just felt tired while reading this. Maybe I need a break from rom-coms for a while. There wasn’t any joy here for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
egmamaril's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia and Ableism
sarahajacksties's review against another edition
the fatphobia was off-putting, and the 'enemies' part of 'enemies-to-lovers' felt both too mean and not real enough. also the emphasis on how she's so teeny tiny every sentence was tiring
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia