sleepswithbooks's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Just an incredibly frustrating read with obnoxious characters. The story is somewhat interesting and engaging, but every chapter is essentially the same with nothing new happening with the characters. Dumb kids making dumb choices. Ending was terrible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Car accident, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Infidelity
staceyliu95's review against another edition
The main character in the first few pages is fat phobic, judgmental, and overall a bitch and couldn’t put up with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
sari_na16's review against another edition
His view of women and how he treats them gets my blood pumping The plot, characters is not for me didn’t enjoy this book so much🥱
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, and Body shaming
katiegurnett17's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
this. was. genuinely painful to get through my god. i’ve never hated characters more (which i get was the point) but oh my god. unbearable for me personally. wanted to DNF at 10% but i persevered, regretfully so. AGHAKFNXOANWIXBS
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
ermt520's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Body shaming
snjos58's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Cursing, Drug use, Sexual content, Body shaming, Car accident, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Eating disorder
sldibened's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- 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
Eating disorders, abusive relationships, sex, drugs & alcohol
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, and Death
Eating disorders, abusive relationships, sex, drugs & alcoholjenniefromthebook's review against another edition
tense
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
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Drug use, and Eating disorder
saurahsaurus's review against another edition
Aggressively white. Twelve and a half minutes in and I can’t bare anymore.
Lulu lemons. Soul cycle. Coffee+Adderall. Calorie burning. Calorie counting. Cattiness amongst females, especially in regards to aesthetics and at work.
I know that depiction does not equal endorsement, but this already feels toxic. No thanks.
Lulu lemons. Soul cycle. Coffee+Adderall. Calorie burning. Calorie counting. Cattiness amongst females, especially in regards to aesthetics and at work.
I know that depiction does not equal endorsement, but this already feels toxic. No thanks.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Eating disorder
cgm42's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.25
Made the mistake of going "oh this show is based on a book? I should read it" the show is better but if you have time to kill (or can't sleep) and want to know how the show might end, the book might give you a general idea. Bless the writers room competency.
Stars removed for placing Baird in California (google says its in New York. Want a school setting in California? the state has many to choose from or make up fictional school) and for improper use of The Cranberries (this is a personal bias).
The story itself is about entering in messy/abusive relationships and confusing sex with actual feelings or a relationship, its told in 2 perspectives Stephen & Lucy. There are a couple of flashback scenes, one that I don't feel like it helped the story in any way and the other flashback takes place in college and is the bulk of the story. There are better books out there that address these themes better, go read those. That said I didn't hate the book enough to DNF so that's my fault really because I love trash. If you're here for the relatable likeable character, this is not your book.
Although its mostly in Lucy's perspective, I could have done with less of Stephen. We get it that he's terrible as the story unfolds and seeing the story be told by his perspective makes sense to give context to his actions and his obsession with Lucy but there are certain storylines from him that didn't need to be there as it borders on him being a cartoon villain, when I felt the book already established quite clearly that he is not a good person. Making him comically obvious that he's terrible removes the subtlety of how abusers act.
Lucy's story arc is...complicated. Although I didn't really like her personality & a lot of the decisions she made, that didn't make me less empathetic of her situation. Because yes being around an abusive and charming person, you will make dumb decisions, especially when you're in college.
I really didn't like the Macy's storyline as it didn't contributed anything to the story and could have easily been left out. Stephen shouldn't have been driving under the influence and he shouldn't have left the scene of the accident and he belongs in jail but it one of those things where its like yes we get it he's evil look at what a terrible thing he did stop beating us over the head with it. Also, when Lucy is remembering Macy and she's convinced that it was about him... I can't suspend my belief that hard. Sure Lucy is smart but for her to just know that it was him who caused the car accident makes ZERO sense & even confronting him like that made ZERO sense. It felt like fridge-ing but even more useless.
My other nit-picky thing was The Unspeakable Thing, once her character talks about catching her mom in an affair with her school girl crush (and wow what a creep that guy was) she keeps talking about it as The Unspeakable Thing, just call it CJ's affair from then on.
Stars removed for placing Baird in California (google says its in New York. Want a school setting in California? the state has many to choose from or make up fictional school) and for improper use of The Cranberries (this is a personal bias).
The story itself is about entering in messy/abusive relationships and confusing sex with actual feelings or a relationship, its told in 2 perspectives Stephen & Lucy. There are a couple of flashback scenes, one that I don't feel like it helped the story in any way and the other flashback takes place in college and is the bulk of the story. There are better books out there that address these themes better, go read those. That said I didn't hate the book enough to DNF so that's my fault really because I love trash. If you're here for the relatable likeable character, this is not your book.
Although its mostly in Lucy's perspective, I could have done with less of Stephen. We get it that he's terrible as the story unfolds and seeing the story be told by his perspective makes sense to give context to his actions and his obsession with Lucy but there are certain storylines from him that didn't need to be there as it borders on him being a cartoon villain, when I felt the book already established quite clearly that he is not a good person. Making him comically obvious that he's terrible removes the subtlety of how abusers act.
Lucy's story arc is...complicated. Although I didn't really like her personality & a lot of the decisions she made, that didn't make me less empathetic of her situation. Because yes being around an abusive and charming person, you will make dumb decisions, especially when you're in college.
Spoiler
I enjoyed her ending, was she suddenly an amazing person, with her shit together? no, but she's trying. Contrasting it to how she first hit her low point and went for help before her senior year and then fell back to her old habits. I like that because it showed that progress can be slow and that's ok.I really didn't like the Macy's storyline as it didn't contributed anything to the story and could have easily been left out. Stephen shouldn't have been driving under the influence and he shouldn't have left the scene of the accident and he belongs in jail but it one of those things where its like yes we get it he's evil look at what a terrible thing he did stop beating us over the head with it. Also, when Lucy is remembering Macy and she's convinced that it was about him... I can't suspend my belief that hard. Sure Lucy is smart but for her to just know that it was him who caused the car accident makes ZERO sense & even confronting him like that made ZERO sense. It felt like fridge-ing but even more useless.
My other nit-picky thing was The Unspeakable Thing, once her character talks about catching her mom in an affair with her school girl crush (and wow what a creep that guy was) she keeps talking about it as The Unspeakable Thing, just call it CJ's affair from then on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident
Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, and Mental illness