A review by lizzardbreath
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.25

The ending of the novel was one that left me with mixed feelings. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it’s one I feel like I need to sit in. I finished it last night and I’m still thinking about it and how it commentates on society through a feminist perspective. I would say that the main character’s monologue at the end was a message for the reader rather than one for herself. I was proud of her for finally being able to break that toxic cycles of abuse that she endured all her life, but it wasn’t in a way that made me jump for joy at her freedom. It was liberating in a very mellow sense and I think there should be more awareness on that, on how getting out of toxic/abusive relationships isn’t always a dramatic and happy ending, but rather one that feels like a fresh of breath air, knowing that there’s finally peace that in some ways, you still need to actively fight for. This is the first story I’ve read where the author did a great job in letting the reader inside the mind of someone who is currently suffering through a toxic/abusive relationship and the complicated feelings that come with it. There were times where I actually felt sympathy for her abuser even when I knew he’s the one that committed the ultimate evil. Overall, I would say this novel has a profound take on feminism, the struggles of women and their relationships with men, and the interesting psychology of a person in a toxic/abusive cycle (relationships or with themselves).
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