Reviews tagging 'Violence'

My Sweet Girl by Amanda Jayatissa

9 reviews

cc_shelflove's review

dark tense fast-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

5.0

This is a book that I am going to be thinking about for a while. Paloma is a 30-year-old woman who was adopted at a young age from a Sri Lankan orphanage to the idyllic Californian family. Her dream would finally be fulfilled. She would come to America and live a life better than she could have ever imagined. Told in alternating timelines, the reader gets glimpses of Paloma's current dealings in California and her life at the orphanage. One thing the reader finds out quickly, though: Paloma is fucking nuts. The woman is batshit crazy! She is even more unhinged than Yellowface's June Hayward. I was hooked from the first chapter as she mixed an alcoholic beverage with her prescription medication. Sounds like a good idea, right? Bad things begin happening to those around Paloma, she thinks she has stalkers, she tries to dodge her therapist... the list goes on and on. She was a train wreck that I could not look away from. Did someone really follow her from Sri Lanka to seek revenge all these years later, or is Paloma simply losing it?

I will admit that in reading this book, I identified reasons why it might not be for everyone. We cannot believe much of Paloma's recollections due to her drinking habits (think The Girl on the Train). I personally love an unreliable narrator! 🥃 Additionally, the word 'fuck' appears seemingly on every page. This did not take away from the story for me, but I know it could be bothersome to some. If you want to read about a chick who swears a lot and loses her marbles, pick this up. The ending was soooooooooooooo worth it. 🤯

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Miscarriage

kashcraft's review

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Violence

Moderate: Murder and Death of parent

dfbballinger's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The plot of this book is compelling and finding out what happened in Sri Lanka that led Paloma to the life she has in California drove my desire to keep reading. That said, Paloma is very, very unlikeable. So detestable that had it not been for an intriguing plot, I probably wouldn’t have finished the book. She treats everyone like garbage and is only concerned about herself. There is no growth or change over the course of the novel. She’s just mean. The twists and turns of the novel do, in some ways, make up for the faults of the protagonist though. All in all, it was a fun read that kept me on my toes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Car accident, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Death of parent, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

thedrolldiaries's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Ooo this was a good one! A dark, sinister, Sri Lankan-inspired twist on

Jane Eyre

!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Violence, Addiction, and Abandonment

alexandratheroux's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

A difficult read due to the genuinely horrible personality of the unreliable narrator but I'm super glad I stuck it out because the last 3rd of the book was twisty as hell and very worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Confinement

hkburke2's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This helped keep me listening to a book even during a stressful week, so I'd say it was engaging. Some of it felt predictable but the writing and characters kept me interested to see how the (predictable) twist would unfold. 

I'm just not a fan of the "I'm drunk/on meds so I can't even trust myself!" device. I wish that hadn't been a part of this one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Child death, Death of parent, Addiction, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

kirstym25's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault

altoidtheshovel's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual violence