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A review by leoniepeonie
Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
This book was pure pain to read, but wow. Nolan was so precise with the self-destruction of the protagonist and the minutiae of her heartache and emotion, and it was all so visceral and beautifully written.
I went into this book because a friend lent it to me. I'd been putting it off for a long time, suspecting it would be an intense, angsty relationship-y book aaaand reluctant to dive in because of the god-awful cover on the hardback edition. I thought this would be a wallowing book I wouldn't be able to get on board with, and for the first twenty or thirty pages or so I was feeling very, very done with the trope of self-hating 20-something women obsessing over problematic men and relationships. This book had its fair share of that trope within it, but it was done in such a wonderful way that it still had a lot to add to a saturated genre. It was pure toxicity but it explored the emotional depth of what would drive that situation, rather than primarily focusing on the immediacy of pain and difficulty as others in the genre have done. It looked at emotions and experiences directly as well as looking at the depth beneath it, which Nolan did particularly well because of the way she played with time. It had a rawness that was really special, and I raced through the book. I also love a short chapter, so that helped. Excellent.
I went into this book because a friend lent it to me. I'd been putting it off for a long time, suspecting it would be an intense, angsty relationship-y book aaaand reluctant to dive in because of the god-awful cover on the hardback edition. I thought this would be a wallowing book I wouldn't be able to get on board with, and for the first twenty or thirty pages or so I was feeling very, very done with the trope of self-hating 20-something women obsessing over problematic men and relationships. This book had its fair share of that trope within it, but it was done in such a wonderful way that it still had a lot to add to a saturated genre. It was pure toxicity but it explored the emotional depth of what would drive that situation, rather than primarily focusing on the immediacy of pain and difficulty as others in the genre have done. It looked at emotions and experiences directly as well as looking at the depth beneath it, which Nolan did particularly well because of the way she played with time. It had a rawness that was really special, and I raced through the book. I also love a short chapter, so that helped. Excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Self harm, Fatphobia, and Eating disorder