Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Girls by Emma Cline

155 reviews

lara_mac's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

2.5

Mostly a story of an unpopular teenager acting out because she so desperately wants to fit in with a group. It’s very difficult to stick it out through the graphic sex depictions about a 14 year old. I liked the commentary on how easily people can get sucked into the cult environment when it is mostly made up of mundanity, but not much else.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, and Child death

gellyreads's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I am kind of surprised that I loved this book as much as I did. It was slow, and it felt like nothing happened, but it also felt so dark, twisted, and intense. I also feel like Cline has produced some of the most realistic and authentic feminist prose in fiction that I've seen recently. I have so many quotes and passages from this book that I loved, that I just had to write down for future me, which ultimately lead me to giving this 5 stars. This book is not for every body. It is incredibly messed up, but it is also a very accurate image of what it is like to be a white woman in the patriarchy.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, Cursing, Misogyny, Violence, and Rape

kittyfast's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Blood, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Body horror, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Gore, Violence, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, and Sexual assault

kfergy's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• 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

1.75

Had this not been for a book club, I would have DNFd the book, I just found it to be boring and not worth reading the underage, questionable-consent sex that took place. 

Who is the audience for this book, someone vaguely interested in the Manson family for vibes but doesn't want to read Helter Skelter? So yeah, not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Sexual content, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence

Minor: Suicide and Toxic friendship

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Child death, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Blood

laurenhannah217's review against another edition

dark sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Child death

knikchevich's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Child abuse, Blood, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

athiraandbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, and Violence

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

It seems like her writing style is hit or miss w people, I quite enjoyed it. I do agree with other reviewers that the present day plotline added little.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

maddamreads's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

I was immersed in the world of this book very quickly! Cline’s decision to make it set in the past and present, as well as first person narration brings you in, even while the narrator is somewhat biased. The commentary on girlhood/womanhood is not anything new, but put very bluntly, imposing a sense of connection to afab/woman readers. I did not like the constant hinting at the events at the end of the book. It felt like it was intended to keep me reading, but it comes off as mildly immature and distrusting of Clines own great storytelling. 
Overall, a thrilling story and a great character study. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Drug use, and Toxic friendship

Difficult Mother/daughter and father/daughter relationships.