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faerieboo's reviews
13 reviews
Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman
Rated one star due to the fact the book does not include trigger warnings for anorexia. It was hard to enjoy the book as a struggling anorexic boy when the main character frequently exhibited signs of a psuedo-recovered anorexic and his disorders habits weren't challenged at all. If there had been a trigger warning somewhere on the back of the book, I believe I either wouldn't have picked it up or the exposure to such subjects would have been prepared for.
The depiction of Charlie, who is anorexic (not recovered, might I add), needs some work. I don't believe in the slightest he was hospitalised (due to attempted suicide, but his anorexia would have been picked up as a cause/trigger) and not put on an eating plan for when he came out, which would include frequent high calorie snacks (which he refuses). He eats half of a chocolate bar at the end of the novel which... is a big step for an anorexic, of course, but should be part of his plan and something he has regularly while he builds up his weight.
Also, he seems to focus on other people's food at one point in the novella, which is a clear sign of restriction and relapse.
Unfortunately this novella seems to glorify eating disorders. Unless the main character is recovered, I believe eating disorders shouldn't be mentioned in novels and novellas like these. Showing the negative impacts of the disorders to their full extent is important and a romance novella that would rather focus on drama is not able to do that.
EDIT: Had to edit the review due to mistakingly labelling Nick as the anorexic character when it's actually Charlie. And, no, I hadn't read Solitaire prior to this novella. It does work as a stand alone and I believe you don't have to read Solitaire to enjoy this, if you can get past the poor depiction of anorexia and the recovery.
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Review taken from my Goodreads account. Please keep in mind that I had know idea about Storygraph when first reading this in 2020 and therefore had no access to the content warnings.
Rated one star due to the fact the book does not include trigger warnings for anorexia. It was hard to enjoy the book as a struggling anorexic boy when the main character frequently exhibited signs of a psuedo-recovered anorexic and his disorders habits weren't challenged at all. If there had been a trigger warning somewhere on the back of the book, I believe I either wouldn't have picked it up or the exposure to such subjects would have been prepared for.
The depiction of Charlie, who is anorexic (not recovered, might I add), needs some work. I don't believe in the slightest he was hospitalised (due to attempted suicide, but his anorexia would have been picked up as a cause/trigger) and not put on an eating plan for when he came out, which would include frequent high calorie snacks (which he refuses). He eats half of a chocolate bar at the end of the novel which... is a big step for an anorexic, of course, but should be part of his plan and something he has regularly while he builds up his weight.
Also, he seems to focus on other people's food at one point in the novella, which is a clear sign of restriction and relapse.
Unfortunately this novella seems to glorify eating disorders. Unless the main character is recovered, I believe eating disorders shouldn't be mentioned in novels and novellas like these. Showing the negative impacts of the disorders to their full extent is important and a romance novella that would rather focus on drama is not able to do that.
EDIT: Had to edit the review due to mistakingly labelling Nick as the anorexic character when it's actually Charlie. And, no, I hadn't read Solitaire prior to this novella. It does work as a stand alone and I believe you don't have to read Solitaire to enjoy this, if you can get past the poor depiction of anorexia and the recovery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
To the Flame by A.E. Ross
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
To the Flame is a quick, relaxing read for a day when you don't want to invest yourself on 300+ pages and instead just want to pass some time while walking or snuggling under your duvet. Unfortunately, the only positives I could take away from this novella is the length and the eerie vibes.
The characterisation was somewhat annoying and, frankly, I went into this novel expecting something different. In my status updates, you can see how I felt about the writing style, which was dull and unnecessarily droning. The scenarios that Emerson and Morrie found themselves in felt as if they'd be pulled from a Hallmark romance movie, and the chemistry between them fell flat.
I did adore the concept though, just not the execution. I wanted to love it so bad. I'd certainly recommend it to people who enjoy cringey romances (nothing wrong with that!) with a paranormal twist. I suppose I prefer cliché romances that are a little less... emo? I'm not sure how to put it nicely, since this isn't a criticism, it's simply not my preference.
The characterisation was somewhat annoying and, frankly, I went into this novel expecting something different. In my status updates, you can see how I felt about the writing style, which was dull and unnecessarily droning. The scenarios that Emerson and Morrie found themselves in felt as if they'd be pulled from a Hallmark romance movie, and the chemistry between them fell flat.
I did adore the concept though, just not the execution. I wanted to love it so bad. I'd certainly recommend it to people who enjoy cringey romances (nothing wrong with that!) with a paranormal twist. I suppose I prefer cliché romances that are a little less... emo? I'm not sure how to put it nicely, since this isn't a criticism, it's simply not my preference.
In His Service by Dan Waters
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
It's been awhile since I read (and abandoned) In His Service but I've been thinking about my experience reading it lately and I wanted to add a comment before I decide to give it another go. It wasn't enjoyable at all; the sex was cringe-worthy at best and terrible at worst, the characters were frustrating, and the plot line moved both too fast and too slow. Plot elements dragged on that didn't need to, but the elements that did need to be explored weren't.
I hope I change my mind when I reread this.
I hope I change my mind when I reread this.