Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

De geniale vriendin by Elena Ferrante

26 reviews

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

My Brilliant Friend is a highly regarded international treasure, focusing on a female friendship in 1950’s+ Naples. While I cannot relate to Elena (our narrator) in a environmental or physical sense, her connection with Lila embodies so much of my own relationships from adolescents to now. It’s resonance with readers spanning multiple years highlights Ferrante’s brilliant (haha see what I did there) ability to articulate the human experience, many events of which I am still trying to put together with words.
I cannot wait to continue on with the rest of the Neapolitan series, and Ferrante’s backlist in general.
After checking trigger warnings, I would highly highly recommend if you enjoy character based novels!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, and Gaslighting

eshdho's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Domestic abuse

hippolyta_vi's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

For anyone who's ever had a best friend that they love with all their heart and would do anything for, but ultimately is the same person you compare yourself to, possibly in an unhealthy way, this book is for you. 

This story is episodic, driven by characters vignettes not a grand adventure. Many people have said it's boring, but it's anything but. Ferrante pulls the reader into the lives of Lenù and Lila and their home town. You are an onlooker, rooting for characters while simultaneously hating them. Every character and their relationships to one another are complex and real. 

I can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Violence

zezeki's review against another edition

challenging tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

karenaerts's review

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol

culown's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

I struggle to think of ways in which non-Italian readers (especially non neapolitan) can understand the language, depth and context of this piece of work: that's why I kinda understand the low ratings some readers have given. To me this book was amazing, the writing style, the characters, the plot, i loved it all. But my favorite aspect was definitely the in depth look at classism in southern Italy and the consequences of poverty, which are often ignored even though they mean so much to modern day Italy. 
Anyway i kinda digressed but this was great and would highly reccomend 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence