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uwubies's review against another edition
- 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
2.5
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Sexual content, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gore, Sexism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Classism, Animal death, Vomit, and Physical abuse
Minor: Torture, Pedophilia, Abortion, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, and Ableism
miaaa_lenaaa's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
‘My mam always used to tell me that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. And Eddie from Tesco is a fly, but he's got a taste for vinegar. It's like vinegar is all he's ever had from people, and now he doesn't even know what honey tastes like.’
‘I wonder what the fuck I have to do for people to recognise me as a threat… Do I have to smash a glass over the head of every single man I come into contact with, just so I leave a fucking mark?’
Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Cancer, Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Gaslighting, Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Classism, Cursing, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
june_haya's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Drug use, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Mental illness, Blood, Biphobia, Self harm, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, and Death
samdalefox's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
There are clear influences (in some cases direct lifting) from American Psycho and includes a great many other contemporary references to pop culture which I don't think will age well. I think it's interesting to view the themes through both the artist (Irina) and her art. Irina is a menacing unreliable narrator who embodies some really interesting themes also expressed in her art: rape culture, consent, boundaries, self hatred [diet culture, disordered eating], control, the male gaze and social hypersexulisation of girls and women, the 'female gaze', the impact of trauma to a person, narcissism, biphobia, women's anger and wanting to be seen, cruelty to others, manipulation (of others, of the truth), attachment issues, and some pretty interesting commentary on the British class system within the arts world. Her art comments on many of these things in the subject matter, Irina's process of how she makes the art, and how it is recevied by others.
There were many subplots (or redherrings, or mental dillusions, who knows!) that I was quite interested in but disappointingly never went any further e.g.
Favourite quotes:
"I look at the photos again, the ones I didn't delete. I look at his purple face, his bloody chin and nipple, his swollen cheek. I wonder what the fuck I have to do for people to recognise me as a threat, you know?"
"Do I have to smash a glass over the head of every single man I come into contact with, just so I leave a fucking mark?
I like this review from the following Reddit thread:
I love this review because it thoroughly examines the flaws of the book. I see what you are saying, however I loved the book for exactly those reasons. Irina is insufferable and a horrible person. She’s not that great at much, except for being shocking and vile in acceptable ways. She gets lucky and abuses any of her power. I don’t think we’re supposed to fully grasp everything in the book. I admit the plot could be better, but her deliriousness really disillusions our hopes for her to change her ways. I wish there was maybe a clear point about gender dynamics or power, but I think there doesn’t need to be. I found it wildly entertaining to hate Irina and be excited by her reckless behaviors at the same time. Anyways, i just really like the points you made!
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/vetecw/boy_parts_by_eliza_clark_is_an_utterly_terrible/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Moderate: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Classism
britrcup's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Animal death, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Rape, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, Torture, and Violence
sophieennis's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Cancer, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Infidelity, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Murder, Outing, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Biphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Transphobia
hapikohw's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Sexism, Sexual assault, Classism, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Self harm, Biphobia, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Murder, and Rape
owenwilsonbaby's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Solid satire with some really funny moments and interesting characterisation. I really like how Irina's perception of Flo is slowly undercut by external glimpses of Flo. The final conversation about what Flo thinks Irina can give her is such a good example of this, as Irina interprets Flo's doomed desire for her as pathetic, when there is actually something deeply sad about Irina being functionally unable to recognise love and desire as a genuine investment in someone's wellbeing, rather than a means to an end. Irina's cynicism slowly being undercut by her delusions and the optimism of those around her was also really interesting - her voice can be quite compelling so the moments where you realise how flawed her own narrative is about herself and her world was enjoyable.
I did wander what this book was moving towards. The last act felt comparatively slower than previous sections. Anticipating the end of the book, I began to realise it was probably going to lack substantial payoff, which is odd when the first two acts were quickly-paced. Given the prominence of Irina's 'friendship' with Flo, I did feel like that should have featured more in the final conflict.
I have really mixed feelings on this book. The deliberate gratuity was interesting and having also read A Certain Hunger this year I understand the market for and am interested in literary fiction that centres female psychopathy. The commentary on desire and forcing yourself into different boxes was insightful (e.g. Flo only liking who she was supposed to like). I think my main problem is it feels like something is missing, but I just don't know what. I wanted to like it more.
Graphic: Biphobia, Cursing, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
ardour's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I love a dark atmosphere to a novel but I think this went beyond a ‘dark vibe’—by me feeling a bit terrible after finishing because I realised I had kind of been gaslit/manipulated by the narrator to keep excusing her behaviour and refusing to see her for how awful she really was.
Her unashamedly horrible thoughts/actions throughout the book kinda got me hooked because i kept looking for evidence that deep down she was a good person?
Anyway, I won’t say any more but if you have similar experiences to mine and decide to read ahead, make sure that your overall mental health is okay (as in ur not in the middle of a depressive episode) before starting & make sure you have someone u feel safe with you decompress :)
Graphic: Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Blood, Gore, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Body horror, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Animal death, Self harm, Infidelity, Vomit, and Torture
Minor: Biphobia
IMO, proceed *with caution* if you have trauma from psychological abuse/manipulation. I love a dark atmosphere to a novel but I think this went beyond a ‘dark vibe’—by me feeling a bit terrible after finishing because I realised I had kind of been gaslit/manipulated by the narrator to keep excusing her behaviour and refusing to see her for how awful she really was. Her unashamedly horrible thoughts/actions throughout the book kinda got me hooked because i kept looking for evidence that deep down she was a good person? Anyway, I won’t say any more but if you have similar experiences to mine and decide to read ahead, make sure that your overall mental health is okay (as in ur not in the middle of a depressive episode) before starting & make sure you have someone u feel safe with you decompress :)nialiversuch's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit
Moderate: Cancer, Torture, and Terminal illness