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signeskov's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Mass/school shootings, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Self harm, Rape, Outing, Murder, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexism, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Blood
caroisreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Penance" focuses on the perspectives of four teen girls, schoolmates at a small coastal town in England. They are, at varying degrees, involved in the gruesome demise of Joni, a fellow student in their class.
The layer on top of this plot is that we are reading the POV of a fictional author who has interviewed the characters and researched Joni's case. He's an unreliable narrator to say the least. It's Inception-y, and lets us sit at a distance from the horror, like a sobering buffer.
With this in mind, Clark plays with our sense of what is real and what is not. I found myself Googling events that were completely fictional, though there are references to real platforms, psychopaths, books and a school shooting. This disorients you as a reader, and mimics the delusion and untruthiness taking place with the characters, and true crime in general.
What definitely feels real are the Tumblr posts, and the fangirls who idolize and fictionalize mass murderers. Clark spends a lot of time illustrating this world, and we sit in the discomfort for a while. It's a paradoxically naive and dark place.
I should add, the author purposefully avoids going into specifics of what these characters physically do to Joni
After assessing the TWs, I recommend this book as dark, brutal, engaging read with the most well-crafted characters I've ever come across. Keep reminding yourself it's fiction, but not really.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Eating disorder, Incest, Death of parent, Homophobia, Gore, Rape, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Vomit
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Toxic friendship, Violence, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Pedophilia
sophie______a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Child death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Torture, Body shaming, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Sexual content, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Physical abuse, Grief, Self harm, and Classism
lweezthereadrat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Suicide, Blood, and Fatphobia
em815ily's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Outing, Suicide, Torture, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Violence, Bullying, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Self harm, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Body shaming
nialystic's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Child death, Toxic friendship, Mass/school shootings, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing, Rape, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Torture, Classism, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Self harm, Stalking, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Outing
elenakperez's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Mental illness, Racism, Racial slurs, Self harm, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Mass/school shootings, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Child death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
rallythealli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Self harm, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death, Child death, and Bullying
katarinabee's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Torture, Pedophilia, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, Mental illness, and Child death
Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Bullying, and Rape