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itstheesilvie's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Fortunately or unfortunately this book made me reflect on myself and previous relationships I had with some of the women in my life. It was definitely a book that every character was so relatable yet unhinged and fucked up. It was incredibly raw writing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Gore, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship
m_onalisaa's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
- Loveable characters? Yes
0.25
i no longer identify as a lesbian
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Abandonment, Body shaming, Medical content, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Biphobia, Sexual violence, Body horror, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Drug use, and Toxic relationship
runtomelover's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
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
2.75
a comedy of manners of the well to do, primarily white, brooklyn lesbian scene. and only one niche of that group (if you can imagine). All pretension, moral superiority with ashamed aesthetic superiority. that shame of valuing aesthetics runs as deep as it is valued. at least, through the eyes of Sasha. I really dig some of the lines and ideas brushed upon.
"to announce herself as fragile; a thing that could be harmed"
kitty-cat is used in lieu of pussy or vagina roughly 13 times through out the book.
the great big awful scene of sexual perversion and repute that people mention is an art piece; one part body-mod, one part bdsm, one part crucifiction porn, 100% consensual. by the end i was cringing less from the actions taken and more from the place of expectation and posturing each action came from. I can see why people dont like it, but unfortunately for my self-concept i really liked it
"to announce herself as fragile; a thing that could be harmed"
kitty-cat is used in lieu of pussy or vagina roughly 13 times through out the book.
the great big awful scene of sexual perversion and repute that people mention is
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood
maksipad's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am still processing this book lol. I think I liked it?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
aweso10's review
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book gave me whiplash in the best way ahahaha. such a weird/quirky and introspective take on queer and lesbian relationships that feels painfully real at times. this book brought out my insecurities as a queer femme but also validated them at the same time?? jenny fran davis is a queen, i need to read more of her work STAT.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Blood
preciouslittleingenue's review
1.5
I think insufferable is a good way to put it…God. Wtf.
I truly wish I had DNF’d it but I got to the point where once I got to the graphic nasty shit, it’s like…well now I might as well finish because how can it get worse?
Thankfully it didn’t. But it’s not like the ending was worth it. Apparently this novel started as a collection of essays unpacking the “high femme antics” frequently mentioned throughout, and I wish it had stayed that way. That concept and the idea of tying it to The Green Necklace was very intriguing to me and held a lot of truth. The rest of the book…? Could’ve done without it.
Whenever I read (or watch for that matter) something especially disturbing, my mind immediately goes “well, sure it’s fiction, but a real person had to come up with this for it to exist…” and I just can’t fathom how anybody’s brain goes to these places. The “performance” was frankly disgusting. I sat in my car driving with a horrid grimace on my face the entire time and felt sick to my stomach. Just. Why. God. Why. What on EARTH was the point of ANY of that? What was the point of this WHOLE BOOK? I get that the point was that they’re all unlikeable. And like, if that was it, fine. But it also was just DISGUSTING. All the disgust and the hatred of the characters only for it to go absolutely nowhere. Disappointing af. Waste of time doesn’t even feel strong enough to say because it not only felt like a waste but ALSO sickened me. Ugh.
I truly wish I had DNF’d it but I got to the point where once I got to the graphic nasty shit, it’s like…well now I might as well finish because how can it get worse?
Thankfully it didn’t. But it’s not like the ending was worth it. Apparently this novel started as a collection of essays unpacking the “high femme antics” frequently mentioned throughout, and I wish it had stayed that way. That concept and the idea of tying it to The Green Necklace was very intriguing to me and held a lot of truth. The rest of the book…? Could’ve done without it.
Whenever I read (or watch for that matter) something especially disturbing, my mind immediately goes “well, sure it’s fiction, but a real person had to come up with this for it to exist…” and I just can’t fathom how anybody’s brain goes to these places. The “performance” was frankly disgusting. I sat in my car driving with a horrid grimace on my face the entire time and felt sick to my stomach. Just. Why. God. Why. What on EARTH was the point of ANY of that? What was the point of this WHOLE BOOK? I get that the point was that they’re all unlikeable. And like, if that was it, fine. But it also was just DISGUSTING. All the disgust and the hatred of the characters only for it to go absolutely nowhere. Disappointing af. Waste of time doesn’t even feel strong enough to say because it not only felt like a waste but ALSO sickened me. Ugh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Infidelity
carokv's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Body horror, and Blood
annietaber's review
Literally so disturbing and for WHAT. I like a dark novel but the sudden body horror was simply too much and wasn’t even remotely connected to the plot or any character development. Shock just for scandal’s sake. I couldn’t recommend it to anyone in good conscience. Also, the characters never revealed who they were. Each action they made caught me off guard consistently; I’d think I knew each character and then they’d react in a way completely unhinged from any prior development or plot. Seemed confused in its vision and goal; instead all I got was that to be a modern lesbian you had to mutilate yourself— literally and figuratively. I thought about finishing just to say I’d read it, but after sleeping on the horrifying porno scene, I couldn’t justify putting myself through that for a book that wasn’t even important to me in the first place.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Body horror, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
cvl_1103's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I appreciated the gender diversity of this books and the spectrum of masc/butch identities. I don’t think this book was for me. I found the main character insufferable, although I think that might have been the point. And I found the sex scenes incredibly off putting and gratuitous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
womanwill's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, Gore, Torture, and Body horror
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship