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applesodaperson 's review for:
Bad Fruit
by Ella King
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was such a weird one that I would honestly not recommend it. I just found myself thinking "what on earth is the point of this?" while reading and after. It felt like it was trying to make a statement about abuse, but I just felt like it missed the mark so bad. It felt almost like trauma porn. Like too explicit without it serving a justifiable purpose to the narrative. Like I guess it accomplished making the reader deeply uncomfortable, if that was its goal.
I was also weirded out that the main character's form of rebellion was to make herself look less Asian and more white. Again I ask, what was the point? What message was the author trying to send with that?
And honestly one of the worst parts of this book was the older guy character that the main character befriends in a really weird way. Like I cannot possibly imagine what the author was trying to say with this character and plot line besides "girls need older men to save them from their terrible lives". Because that is basically exactly what happens. The main character is unable to get out on her own and so she relies on the older guy, who she definitely has feelings for, to save her and provide housing and clothes and food, which realistically would not go well and would lead to further vulnerability in real life.
Also the memory transference thing was weird and felt like a lazy explanation to a lazy plot device.
Overall I just felt weird and not good about this one.
I was also weirded out that the main character's form of rebellion was to make herself look less Asian and more white. Again I ask, what was the point? What message was the author trying to send with that?
And honestly one of the worst parts of this book was the older guy character that the main character befriends in a really weird way. Like I cannot possibly imagine what the author was trying to say with this character and plot line besides "girls need older men to save them from their terrible lives". Because that is basically exactly what happens. The main character is unable to get out on her own and so she relies on the older guy, who she definitely has feelings for, to save her and provide housing and clothes and food, which realistically would not go well and would lead to further vulnerability in real life.
Also the memory transference thing was weird and felt like a lazy explanation to a lazy plot device.
Overall I just felt weird and not good about this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder