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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
kelkelkelkelly'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
3.0
I’m rating this book right in the middle because I’m not sure what to make of it. I believe it’s satire but even then I’m not sure it’s even particularly good satire. But it’s definitely unique and I will be thinking about it for a long time.
The story is like if White Lotus read a bunch of queer theory, spent 50+ hours on lesbian TikTok engaging in discourse, then declared it could be the voice of a generation. It’s hyper-niche - I think the only people who could get through it are upper middle class queers in major metropolitan areas of North America. The references are so specific and trend driven that it already feels dated to read, and will probably be illegible in ten years.
The POV character Sasha is deeply unlikable, self-obsessed, manipulative, performative, controlling, and vain. The other characters are all thinly drawn, and it’s hard to tell if that’s to underscore Sasha’s self-obsession or bad writing. Lou, the only character of colour, is a particularly egregious example of this, seeming to be mostly ignored in the story as though the author couldn’t decide what to do with them, or otherwise demonstrating by omission that Sasha doesn’t care about anything she can’t fuck, control, or hate.
The novel is an uncomfortably frank look at how power works in queer social dynamics, albeit a very narrow sampling of the highly wealthy, mostly cis, and butch/femme conforming. It depicts the ways femme identity can be weaponized to conceal manipulation and controlling behaviour, brushed off as games and “high femme camp antics”, and insisting that if you don’t get you simply must not be smart enough. The book misapplies therapy speak and queer theory citations constantly, blurring the line between critique and asinine nonsense.
In all this, it’s impossible to tell if this was the author’s intent or if she’s just done a sloppy job at writing a complicated character. Either way, it gets points for originality and entertainment value.
The story is like if White Lotus read a bunch of queer theory, spent 50+ hours on lesbian TikTok engaging in discourse, then declared it could be the voice of a generation. It’s hyper-niche - I think the only people who could get through it are upper middle class queers in major metropolitan areas of North America. The references are so specific and trend driven that it already feels dated to read, and will probably be illegible in ten years.
The POV character Sasha is deeply unlikable, self-obsessed, manipulative, performative, controlling, and vain. The other characters are all thinly drawn, and it’s hard to tell if that’s to underscore Sasha’s self-obsession or bad writing. Lou, the only character of colour, is a particularly egregious example of this, seeming to be mostly ignored in the story as though the author couldn’t decide what to do with them, or otherwise demonstrating by omission that Sasha doesn’t care about anything she can’t fuck, control, or hate.
The novel is an uncomfortably frank look at how power works in queer social dynamics, albeit a very narrow sampling of the highly wealthy, mostly cis, and butch/femme conforming. It depicts the ways femme identity can be weaponized to conceal manipulation and controlling behaviour, brushed off as games and “high femme camp antics”, and insisting that if you don’t get you simply must not be smart enough. The book misapplies therapy speak and queer theory citations constantly, blurring the line between critique and asinine nonsense.
In all this, it’s impossible to tell if this was the author’s intent or if she’s just done a sloppy job at writing a complicated character. Either way, it gets points for originality and entertainment value.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Classism, Sexual content, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Excrement
Explicit kink contentorchidd's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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
this was like reading about poorly adjusted people on reality TV
tags: lesbian gender, butch/femme, homonormativity, performativity (and inability to stop performing), construction of femme gender as in opposition to butch gender
tags: lesbian gender, butch/femme, homonormativity, performativity (and inability to stop performing), construction of femme gender as in opposition to butch gender
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Torture, Cursing, and Body horror
Moderate: Drug use and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Excrement
hazel_oat's review
ew ew ew ew ew!!!!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Medical trauma
rheagoveas's review
emotional
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
mosso's review against another edition
4.0
2023 was the year of the disaster girl novel. This is my year of the horny queer lit fic.
I love a book that I simply could not recommend to a straight person. Dykette is messy and gross. It oscillates between collegiate and elementary discussions on queerness. Its characters are selfish and bad communicators. And I love it. This kind of compilation of problematic vignette has become a comfort read for me.
This doesn't rank top among my horny queer lit fics as it didn't particularly move me or illuminate a new framing of queer experience, and it had a centrally white cast. I do recommend this book. If you're a fan of mess, you'll enjoy wading through Dykette's muck.
I love a book that I simply could not recommend to a straight person. Dykette is messy and gross. It oscillates between collegiate and elementary discussions on queerness. Its characters are selfish and bad communicators. And I love it. This kind of compilation of problematic vignette has become a comfort read for me.
This doesn't rank top among my horny queer lit fics as it didn't particularly move me or illuminate a new framing of queer experience, and it had a centrally white cast. I do recommend this book. If you're a fan of mess, you'll enjoy wading through Dykette's muck.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
nibs's review against another edition
slow-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? It's complicated
2.5
I'm sure some people will like it, but this is not my sort of book. Hard to get into it with how superficial and performative the characters are. I didn't appreciate the amount of kink and bother horror either.
Small moments of interesting stuff buried in so much wealthy people surface level stuff.
I did have a fun time discussing this at bookclub though.
Small moments of interesting stuff buried in so much wealthy people surface level stuff.
I did have a fun time discussing this at bookclub though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Sexual content
irenemarie's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Alcohol, and Drug use
Minor: Excrement
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
kennabix's review
funny
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
This was a crazy read. An extremely fun depiction of unquestionable queerness and lesbian culture and gender. Sasha’s intentional annoying personality trait was insufferable, and I kept waiting for something to happen that was not her self-spiraling love/hate train.
Then there was the livestream and that happened! Crazy town body horror. Unanswered questions. The last 100 pages were a wild ride I don’t want to go back onto but was happy to have done once. Miss Fran Davis all I have to say is HUH??
Then there was the livestream and that happened! Crazy town body horror. Unanswered questions. The last 100 pages were a wild ride I don’t want to go back onto but was happy to have done once. Miss Fran Davis all I have to say is HUH??
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Torture