Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

276 reviews

documentno_is's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I went into Boy Parts largely blind and was better for it, the shock factor and depravity of the slow unveiling of the nature of our protagonist was more impactful than had I known what to expect. I hated every moment of being in this character's head and yet grapple with

the ways in which she can be both predator and victim.  Our main character is a master of manipulation and drowning in her own narcissism yet we see the multitude of ways she is failed by those around her, fueling her perversions.

In many ways reading this novel felt unbearable, both in the situations conjured up and the thought processes we are made privy to. This book felt cutting and revolting in the same ways

Lolita does

. My only complaint was the plot post London visit, for as shocking and fast paced as it was for the first 4/5ths of the story it puttered out

rather ungracefully to an unsatisfying ending of repetitions as is common of unveiling your central underlying "secret" too early on. We are left in liminal space of not knowing how much of our character's recollection is psychosis and how much is sociopathy, undoing much of the suspense of earlier on.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death, Biphobia, Sexual violence, Blood, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Alcoholism, Vomit, Rape, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Abandonment

lizziepat's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

2.0

I think I may have had a different experience of this book had I read it, rather than listened. I had the vague sense that it read like Georgia Nicholson had taken a turn for the worst and never got over her own self-importance. I think I’ll have to try it again. I appreciate what the book was trying to achieve but I don’t think it hit the mark for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, Addiction, Vomit, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Murder

keraturner20's review against another edition

dark funny sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Self harm, Religious bigotry, Addiction, and Fatphobia

Phenomenal book, but the ending forced me not to give a 5 star.

jil_m's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Rape, Body horror, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, and Vomit

sofiaboebia's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

this book was intense with a lighthearted “nothing matters” tone, in the creepiest way. The last chapter sums this up completely and is a stunning ending to such a gripping book. It almost feels stereotypical but not, it feels like it relies on shock but it doesn’t, it’s well written but almost not. The last line leaves you mouth open, but not particularly shocking. The book follows a deeply attractive woman’s sabbatical from a bar job she was forced to take. excessive drug use, mania, and clearly phycopathic behaviors leave her recollection of the story questionable and unreliable. The first 200 pages are a slow build of a clearly messed up woman living here life as a photographer and partying but the last 100 pages take a dark and gorey turn. This book follows her vengefulness and almost rage, and as awful as she is, she is an compelling and (for some of it) almost forgivable main character(this obviously has to do with her narration as well). This book is almost entirely character driven, nothing “just happens” to her except for the reason she is on a sabbatical in the first place. Although it is plot driven there is no positive character development to speak of, throughout the book she looks through her archives of photos and reflects, but clearly she has been a similar person for a long time and will continue to be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Vomit, Self harm, Alcohol, Torture, Sexual violence, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Gore, Rape, Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, and Sexual assault

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I found this compulsively readable and incredibly dark.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Rape, Child death, Self harm, Medical content, Violence, Vomit, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Murder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Grief, Excrement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, Body shaming, Blood, and Animal death

robbie_d94's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I'm quite a tough reviewer with 3.75 being categorised as "Excellent" in my review matrix. I found this book extremely funny while being equally disturbing as the main character becomes increasly disassociated through the book. Would recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Minor: Vomit

kibiiiariii's review against another edition

dark emotional funny relaxing sad 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

4.25

Took off 0.25 cus she killed the kitty

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Homophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Ableism, Acephobia/Arophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Grief, Rape, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

mariball's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-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

5.0

Irina Sturges, a character that really personifies “female rage“ and more. I hate her for the things she’s done-

murder (both human and animal), spiteful cruelty to her friends and acquaintances, exploitation in the name of art

- yet also pity her because of the horrible circumstances she endured as she grew up. Clark’s prose is so strong, assured, and darkly humorous that you feel like you’re in the novel, watching Irina descend into unfathomable darkness again and again, at some points holding your breath in shock, fear, and disgust. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Sexual content

alex_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Addiction, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, and Vomit