A review by hayleygray
The Places I've Cried in Public by Holly Bourne

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

At first, I struggled to get into this book. The writing style didn’t intrigue me and I felt the beginning was a little lacklustre. However, as I reached the main turning point, everything made sense. This is a story about a teenage girls journey to finding herself after surviving horrific emotional and sexual abuse from her boyfriend. I felt close to her throughout the story and only wanted the best for her. My heart broke when hers did, my tears ran when hers did, and I was proud of her every step of the way. This is not an easy read… it contains some dark and disturbing imagery and realities of women who undergo domestic abuse. But it needed to be told. And Bourne told it well. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings