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anettainkeri'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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Drug use, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, and Fatphobia
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ev4ngelia's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, and Sexual violence
hannaelisab'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
4.0
while the story‘s horrible, narcissistic, straight-up psychopathic protagonist grossed me out so much, i hate to admit that i had a little smudge of empathy for her in the end & i hated myself for it. so much. cuz thats what she thrived off! (also what does that say about me as a person help). and even worse, i kind of…enjoyed the depravity (which, btw entails pretty much every trigger warning under the sun) that this novel is lmao…am i a walking red flag now or what
Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Murder, Sexual violence, Torture, Death, Drug abuse, 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
literary_lindsay's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Gore, Drug abuse, Self harm, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Vomit, Body shaming, Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Eating disorder, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness
nouraomran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
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
_maggie__'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Self harm, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
moneill4'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
3.5
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Animal death, Rape, and Addiction
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 :)