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A review by grave_liminal
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I rated this book a 1/5 for quite a few reasons. The biggest reason being the sexual assault descriptions that occurred within the book, that is never addressed or called out as sexual assault. The offender is also never punished for the offenses and the book almost glorifies and sexualizes the assaults. Writing about a minor discovering their sexuality based on “not hating” the sexual assault he experiences, that he would have realistically been traumatized from, is beyond distasteful.
This book also brings up the question of who has the right to write about certain topics. I find it incredibly harmful to write a book of this manor while having minimal experience with suicide, self harm, sexual assault, or psychological wards. As someone who’s experienced most of the content in the book, the character’s experiences and reactions were unrealistic and far from relatable. Also reading the words “cat poop” every 2 pages gets extremely old.
This book also brings up the question of who has the right to write about certain topics. I find it incredibly harmful to write a book of this manor while having minimal experience with suicide, self harm, sexual assault, or psychological wards. As someone who’s experienced most of the content in the book, the character’s experiences and reactions were unrealistic and far from relatable. Also reading the words “cat poop” every 2 pages gets extremely old.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Self harm, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, and Suicide
Minor: Drug use