Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

7 reviews

brighgreen's review

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

Reading this, at times, felt like what I imagine being in an opium den feels like.
I didn’t like anyone but George. But then again, women don’t exist solely to be liked. Good book but I felt it was unnecessarily sexual, much like Sadie’s book, so maybe it was too much on purpose. It also felt important though I don’t know what I actually took away from it. But I did enjoy it. A little different than what I’ve been reading lately and I’m happy to branch out sometimes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Sexual violence, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

d0lly's review

adventurous dark lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual assault, Abortion, Rape, and Misogyny

aellwy's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

This book is a beautifully written macabre

retelling of the The Goblin Market.

The relationship between Marie and Sadie is darkly enmeshed. They ruined the lives of others for their love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicide, Rape, Sexual content, Self harm, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty

freyanjani's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense slow-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

5.0

I saw this book reccomended by someone I follow on Instagram and loved the cover, only knew it was somewhat gay so I was sold. But it was so much more than what I thought. This book was a roller coaster ride and I saw reviews saying it was too long and dragged out but in every turn there is always an unexpected twist, especially in the second half. Genuinely the first time I read a 400 page book and didn’t realize it was 400 pages, one of the only books I read this year that kept me wanting to read more. 

It was queer in a really theatrical way, and I liked that it wasn’t advertised or written to be an exclusively queer story about two women in love with each other—it had everything in it. Snarky feminism, a twist on history, the cobweb of privilege, class struggle and the exhilarating side of a revolution. It’s a really unique call out of capitalism, and a fresh look on feminism. I just loved when fiction tries to intertwine with real history, especially the wordplay on the main characters’ names (Mary Antoine and Sadie Arnett). A really refreshing historical fiction. 

My ADHD brain also loved how the book has very short chapters so it didn’t feel like I was reading a long book. It felt like reading proses that was easily digestible even though it was so decadent with thought-provoking ideas. 

My only critique for this books how it describes George. It just didn’t felt right to me that she was constantly described as ugly, at times it felt unnecessary. Even though in the end it’s sort of explained why she was seen as ugly… just didn’t feel too right for me that the only gender non conforming character is being described with such negativity but I digress. I do think it’s cool to explore George’s gender identity from the POV that she was a biological female, it made me think of myself which was nice in a way. I do think we should have gotten more of George and less on Marie and Sadie’s insanity but again, I digress. Also one more critique is the fatphobic remarks on Marie’s “fatness” when she was a child. Like idk. I thought it wasn’t THAT necessary.

This has been my favorite 5 star read of the year. Very thought provoking, engaging, and radical. If it was more compact and shorter, I think it would reach a wider audience. Will be exploring more of the author’s works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Rape, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abortion, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, and Domestic abuse

thoughtful_reader's review

dark funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Rape, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic friendship

prairieraven's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, Bullying, Classism, Violence, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

unphilosophize's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Update 20240218:
This book did not disappoint the second time around. I forgot a lot of things that had happened, especially the twist ending. 

What an absolutely wonderful novel about the power of friendship, revolution, and women’s sexuality. 

Og review: 
I cannot believe that this was the first Heather O’Neill that I’ve read. 

Exquisitely written 

A beautiful exploration of love, sexuality, gender, and class. 

I honestly can’t think of a more perfect book right now. 

George deserves better 

Thank you to Harper Collins for giving me access to an arc through my work #indigoemployee

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Classism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Abandonment, Abortion, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Drug use

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Vomit