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crystalstarrlight's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Bullet Review:
Did you ever wanna read about how a rapist grooms his child victim and how it would have been totes okay for him to marry his barely 14-year old victim if only it wasn't for her pesky aunt calling in the authorities and working diligently (at the expense of her marriage!) to get him incarcerated?
If you thought "Lolita" was a horrible book because of the way it "glorified" Humbert's fucked up perception of Dolores, then avoid this like the plague. Because instead of playing Kellan's predatory behavior as what it is, it's considered twoo WUB.
Despicable. I don't need to read statutory rape apologism. Sad because the writing and the way the author creates characters is exemplary.
Also, given the author's backstory, this reads as a book written to justify the abuses that were done to her.
Lastly: they may not have had penis-in-vagina sex when she was barely 14, but Kellan fingered her. That's still sex in my book and for many other couples (such as lesbian couples).
ETA: Leaving a couple of recent articles here for good measure:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/us/politics/roy-moore-alabama-senate.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/theater/kevin-spacey-gay-anthony-rapp.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/10/05/rose-mcgowan-calls-hollywood-complicit-after-harvey-weinstein-allegations-surface/737198001/
http://time.com/5015204/harvey-weinstein-scandal/
These are the PUBLIC ones. Many more stories of adult men grooming children and/or sexually harassing children are out there.
Did you ever wanna read about how a rapist grooms his child victim and how it would have been totes okay for him to marry his barely 14-year old victim if only it wasn't for her pesky aunt calling in the authorities and working diligently (at the expense of her marriage!) to get him incarcerated?
If you thought "Lolita" was a horrible book because of the way it "glorified" Humbert's fucked up perception of Dolores, then avoid this like the plague. Because instead of playing Kellan's predatory behavior as what it is, it's considered twoo WUB.
Despicable. I don't need to read statutory rape apologism. Sad because the writing and the way the author creates characters is exemplary.
Also, given the author's backstory, this reads as a book written to justify the abuses that were done to her.
Lastly: they may not have had penis-in-vagina sex when she was barely 14, but Kellan fingered her. That's still sex in my book and for many other couples (such as lesbian couples).
ETA: Leaving a couple of recent articles here for good measure:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/13/us/politics/roy-moore-alabama-senate.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/30/theater/kevin-spacey-gay-anthony-rapp.html
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/10/05/rose-mcgowan-calls-hollywood-complicit-after-harvey-weinstein-allegations-surface/737198001/
http://time.com/5015204/harvey-weinstein-scandal/
These are the PUBLIC ones. Many more stories of adult men grooming children and/or sexually harassing children are out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
lashawnwiltz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I have no idea how to review this book.
Wavy, our female main character is just too young for what life has dealt her. And you feel for her through everything that happens to her.
But her view of everything is colored by her trauma and her age.
The trigger warnings that go with this book should determine if you pick it up or not.
But if you decide to, I will say it was emotional, compelling, beautifully written and disturbing all at the same time.
Everyone in this book is broken. Broken people tend to do ..broken things.
NOT to excuse anything that happens in this book.
There were parts of the book where I was disgusted and disturbed and then there were parts of the book where I was like...well this is beautifully sad.
And it's hard to reconcile those parts and give a rating for this book.
It won't be and shouldn't be for everyone.
Please read the trigger warnings if you decide to give this book a chance.
in the end, I think im going to rate this a 4. Because only good writing can make you feel so many emotions in one book.
Wavy, our female main character is just too young for what life has dealt her. And you feel for her through everything that happens to her.
But her view of everything is colored by her trauma and her age.
The trigger warnings that go with this book should determine if you pick it up or not.
But if you decide to, I will say it was emotional, compelling, beautifully written and disturbing all at the same time.
Everyone in this book is broken. Broken people tend to do ..broken things.
NOT to excuse anything that happens in this book.
There were parts of the book where I was disgusted and disturbed and then there were parts of the book where I was like...well this is beautifully sad.
And it's hard to reconcile those parts and give a rating for this book.
It won't be and shouldn't be for everyone.
Please read the trigger warnings if you decide to give this book a chance.
in the end, I think im going to rate this a 4. Because only good writing can make you feel so many emotions in one book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
devmerc's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Murder
carolinereadsalot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
This book is wild!! Such conflicting feelings about it but also couldn’t put it down. Read in a day! Read with an open mind and a lot of tissues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent
kerrimills's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was an easy read book. But challenging for other reasons. As the main focus of the book is of two children who live in a broken drug fuelled family who get protected by a young man who serves jail time for sexual assault of a minor, despite it being consensual and even having documentation for permissionto marry the child. There is lots to discuss about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol
kkrebo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This honestly was a really tough read for me. :(
I love the writing and concept but the pedophila was too much for me. While I get that Wavy and Kellen’s relationship is supposed to supersede the taboo because their love is true - I couldn’t get past it. I truly loved the concept and themes but I just couldn’t get over it sorry!
I love the writing and concept but the pedophila was too much for me. While I get that Wavy and Kellen’s relationship is supposed to supersede the taboo because their love is true - I couldn’t get past it. I truly loved the concept and themes but I just couldn’t get over it sorry!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol
riella_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I feel weird giving this a rating based on the premise of the book. But this was interesting and powerful. I think getting the different perspectives of this unorthodox and taboo romance added a layer I wasn't expecting. The ending is also not something I saw coming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Antisemitism, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
louiselove17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence
erica_reads01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
My immediate reaction when I finished this book was that I don’t know how I feel. The story was beautifully written but it’s a horrible, traumatic story. There are multiple point of views which help to articulate how the two main characters feel and how others perceive them and the situation. You feel sympathy for people you don’t want to sympathize with and I think there’s an unnecessary level of shock value. It’s highly controversial and it didn’t have to be, but I’ll certainly be thinking about it for a while. And it gets people talking about it whether they’re defending or criticizing it. It’s not a love story. But it could have been. And I would have loved it if it were. In many ways I think the story could have been beautiful and uplifting if it were about a girl and a boy of similar age in similar life circumstance. I would have loved the ending if that were the case. Instead when Kellen and Wavy end up together, part of me wanted them to go their separate ways. I think realistically they would have never lasted. Kellen is described as slow and uneducated. He’s rough and likes to fight and doesn’t think much about his actions. He’s described like a boy personality wise and physically portrayed like a big scary man. But he doesn’t grow up, and in the end Wavy does grow. What happens when she outgrows him? Will she ever? Or will she feel bonded by the trauma they endured? Did he prevent her from living a better life and meeting people her own age or were her home circumstances so messed up that she would have never gotten out? Could something worse have happened to her if he didn’t step in? Did he help her or hurt her? He did both.
This is not an age gap romance. This is not a happy love story. This is about a girl who’s had a really tough life and the people who either take advantage of her or try to help her. Her aunt was portrayed like a villain for the way in which she tried to help. She was an antagonist but her opinions and feelings on their inappropriate relationship was probably the only realistic one. I don’t think the time period or the circumstances justify what kellen does. Wavy wasn’t mature for her age. Parentification forced her to grow up and care for others in a way no child should have to. And she was a child. In the end I felt such a strong emotional connection to her and wanted her and her brother to find happiness. I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in less than two days but I’ll be thinking about it a lot longer.
This is not an age gap romance. This is not a happy love story. This is about a girl who’s had a really tough life and the people who either take advantage of her or try to help her. Her aunt was portrayed like a villain for the way in which she tried to help. She was an antagonist but her opinions and feelings on their inappropriate relationship was probably the only realistic one. I don’t think the time period or the circumstances justify what kellen does. Wavy wasn’t mature for her age. Parentification forced her to grow up and care for others in a way no child should have to. And she was a child. In the end I felt such a strong emotional connection to her and wanted her and her brother to find happiness. I couldn’t put this book down. I read it in less than two days but I’ll be thinking about it a lot longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Bullying and Suicidal thoughts
chelseajene's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The only reason it gets a one is bc the writing is good
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder
This book should really come with at least a few trigger warnings. While the writing was really good the story was rough. It starts with an 8yo girl who has drug dealer parents, meets a 21yo that works for her dad and the two basically fall in love. While Kellen tries hard to wait for wavy to be of age I cannot get passed that Kellen says at one point, he rubber necked wavy the day he met her, which was when she was 8! The book acknowledges that it’s wrong but then also tries to portray that the love between wavy and Kellen isn’t sexual but is actual love even though Kellen’s first reaction to wavy was rubber necking, that in itself is sexual especially to an 8yo! but also sorta feels like it’s trying to glorify and normalize these types of relationships. I wouldn’t have read this if I knew about the 8yo and 21yo! Also a lot of other trigger warnings