The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! š
_rowantree_'s review against another edition
Graphic: Blood and Bullying
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death, and Child death
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Ableism, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Incest, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Homophobia
sar_bear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Graphic: Sexism, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Eating disorder
nautikal's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Sexism, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Blood
Minor: Fatphobia, Drug use, and Alcohol
abbyleinbach's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Sexual assault, and Sexism
Minor: Homophobia, Bullying, Alcoholism, Fatphobia, and Alcohol
msradiosilence's review against another edition
First of all, way to whitewash your main ānativeā character. Very SMeyer of you. How is it that the other POC character (Shaunee, a black woman) is allowed to have āmochaā/āchocolateā skin but Zoey goes from ātannedā to āpale whiteā hm? Sounds veryā¦cultural appropriative, no?
For a book that has a gay character and a black character in the main cast, this book was *checks notes* fatphobic, transphobic, racist, and slut shame-y all in the first 8 pages! And it only gets worse!! This is why I fucking DNFed, because there is much better shit out there.
The writing was annoying as fuck, Zoey was super judgmental and annoying as fuck, all the other characters were shallow and annoying as fuckā¦did I mention how annoyed I was with this book?
I read it back in middle school (and bc of the blow job scene in the beginning was subsequently banned from reading it) but as an adult Iāve been going through a nostalgia period and this was one of the books I wanted to revisit. Honestly, thanks Mom and Dad for sparing me from the rest of this series.
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Excrement, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Alcohol, and Sexual assault
atrkula's review against another edition
1.5
Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Death
Minor: Body shaming
donxmore's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.5
Graphic: Death, Body shaming, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault
booktrotting's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Ableism, Blood, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death, and Fatphobia
eleanorryd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
There are a bunch of problematic terms just casually thrown in there for no good reason ('retard' is used several time, she uses 'midget' about corn, so I don't know if that counts but it definitely made me cringe), the only lgbtqia+ character is described by his friends as the 'token guy friend of the group' but, eh, yeah, no. The only black character of the main cast is described as looking like an 'African princess' until we learn her name (and that she's not African at all, she's from Connecticut with Jamaican heritage?). The main character's grandma is Cherokee and 'her people' are described as 'barbaric'. I mean, I'm white as they come, but if even I react then that feels like a sign they should have hired (some more) sensitivity readers.
The plot was not good, much like the writing, but that's really all I have to say about that.
Zoey is so mean and judgemental and rather than being 'wise beyond her years' she just acts like everyone's mum Karen and judges all the 'kids today' for being just that - kids. It's so horrible to read and I can't believe I didn't notice it when I was younger - which is exactly the problem! A book aimed at young kids (girls, most likely) tells them that if you're mean to everyone, and I mean EVERYONE (who isn't, like, super-attractive), you're still the good guy. That whole message is huuuugely problematic and absolutely disgusting.
Here is an incomplete list of people Zoey thinks she's better than:
1. Fat people
2. People who condone drinking
3. Her step-dad
4. Her sister
5. Dorks
6. Emos
7. Goths
8. Vampyres
9. Kathy Richter, 'the biggest ho in school'
10. Aphrodite
11. Her mum
12. Enyo, Deino, and whatever the third girl was called (the Wasp)
13. Elliott
14. All of the Dark Sons and Daughters
15. Stevie Rae (geez just let the girl enjoy her cowboy boots)
16. Heath
17. Kayla
18. Aphrodite again
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Vomit, Sexual content, Death, and Child death
Minor: Ableism, Fatphobia, and Xenophobia
leahkristin's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Rape
Also would like to mention slut shaming.