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hilary89's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Also docking a star for the constant and obnoxious song references. Note to authors: no one is impressed with your (in this case, terrible) taste in music. Moreover, name-dropping songs totally takes readers out of the moment. If they don’t know the song it adds nothing to the scene, and worse, if they do know the song and dislike it then that can ruin the scene. Show us the type of music with your description rather than telling us the exact name of the song. Unless it’s a universally known artist, but still leave the song up to the reader’s imagination, ie. “A Bob Dylan song came on over the radio.” Name-dropping song titles just makes your writing sound super amateur.
Graphic: Animal death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Grief
one_more_chapter96's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
We flipflop between the present and 3 years ago. It is within those snippets of the past that we learn about the men's motivation. They believe that Rika is responsible for 3/4 of them ending up in jail.
I felt as though the characters were lacking depth. We don't really get much background information on the men and an idea of what is motivating their behaviour. These men are cruel and horrible to everyone, especially women. There was so much potential to demonstrate the depth of these characters, it comes out in the very end when we get a flashback in the epilogue of
We get a snippet of why Damon is the way he is within the last chapters of the book. We learn why he is so angry that Rika has "invaded" the group of men, and his fear of his brotherhood being ripped from him. But his character does not have any growth at all and these limited glimpses into his past do not redeem him.
Rika was incredibly naive and annoying. She is not the strong woman that she thinks she is. She is impulsive and seems to have no survival instincts. She is incredibly immature and throws tantrums when she can't get her way (ie. Running into the gentleman's club when she wasn't allowed in). She is determined to live her life on her own and by her own rules, but panics the second her money is gone, because she is actually completely incapable of providing for herself. Plus, she forgave these men WAY too quickly.
I did really like Alex. She was unapologetically herself and had no shame about what she had to do to pay her bills.
Overall, the plot was interesting and there was a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the characters were lacking depth and I just couldn't get past the their lack of growth. The sauna scene (iykyk), was very spicy, but otherwise the romance fell flat and was not really believable.
Tropes: found family, revenge, brotherhood
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
lizzyspooks's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Gun violence
antidietleah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Alcohol
Minor: Incest
mproper1's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Gaslighting
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
chels984's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Grief
Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
nineinchnails's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, and Toxic friendship
k8lynn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
not what i expected, a little disappointed, but overall i enjoyed it.
Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
yokaisbabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment