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bella_t_16's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Such a powerful book. The perspective highlights the struggles that real women face in a delicate and emotive way
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Mental illness and Suicide
rsinclair6536's review against another edition
4.0
In the 1980s, a 15-year old girl joy rides a golf cart on a golf course with two girlfriends. She wrecks it and one of the other girls sustains mortal injuries. The driver heads off to boarding school to avoid the hate visited on her and her family by an unforgiving community. For different reasons, her parents are simultaneously breaking up.
Most of the story occurs at the boarding school where the girl experiences hurtful and vengeful cliques, loneliness, sexual and intellectual awakening, remorse for her behavior that resulted in the accident, loss of her high school friend, and anxiety about her parents' split. Into that comes a predator English professor who easily seduces the girl in a most unpleasant way. She is merely one of many. In spite of his threats to her if she reveals his misdeeds, she reports the crime to the headmaster who downplays the events and tells her to just accept it. His wife underscores that advice in a separate encounter.
The narration skips time frames without warning, and the description of events is usually incomplete -- just glimpses of events, characters, and themes. This technique has been criticized, but I liked it. It is first person narration, and the scattered narration fits with a young girl who is grieving, injured, confused, and angry.
The book is a great meditation on the history of abuse of young women by means of a great, resonate case study. Of particular value is the character of the professor who uses his intelligence and experience to intoxicate the senses and intellect of the girl as part of the seduction. Men put many kinds of power to use against women.
Most of the story occurs at the boarding school where the girl experiences hurtful and vengeful cliques, loneliness, sexual and intellectual awakening, remorse for her behavior that resulted in the accident, loss of her high school friend, and anxiety about her parents' split. Into that comes a predator English professor who easily seduces the girl in a most unpleasant way. She is merely one of many. In spite of his threats to her if she reveals his misdeeds, she reports the crime to the headmaster who downplays the events and tells her to just accept it. His wife underscores that advice in a separate encounter.
The narration skips time frames without warning, and the description of events is usually incomplete -- just glimpses of events, characters, and themes. This technique has been criticized, but I liked it. It is first person narration, and the scattered narration fits with a young girl who is grieving, injured, confused, and angry.
The book is a great meditation on the history of abuse of young women by means of a great, resonate case study. Of particular value is the character of the professor who uses his intelligence and experience to intoxicate the senses and intellect of the girl as part of the seduction. Men put many kinds of power to use against women.
trashley_123's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
asmei's review against another edition
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Bullying and Suicide
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
kristianawithak's review against another edition
3.0
The content makes this a hard book to read. It is bleak and sad. The prose is lyrical, but there were moments where this 149 page book felt long. Maybe that’s the point.
The narrator, Jo (so thankful she has a name), is telling what seems like three stories:
1. She accidentally killed her best friend as a teen.
2. Her charismatic teacher began an inappropriate relationship with her.
3. Cynthia, he first roommate at boarding school, doesn’t fit in at school and leaves.
Are these separate stories or all pieces of the same story of how item two is not her fault? Jo lays out the facts, in a stream of conscious manner jumping back and forth between each story. She understands the reader will be skeptical and likely blame her, because she is to blame for item one. It’s a timely novel, in the midst of a culture that sometimes blames victims. That is what makes reading it a little uncomfortable. How does the reader engage with this story? Which parts do you wish were not there?
The narrator, Jo (so thankful she has a name), is telling what seems like three stories:
1. She accidentally killed her best friend as a teen.
2. Her charismatic teacher began an inappropriate relationship with her.
3. Cynthia, he first roommate at boarding school, doesn’t fit in at school and leaves.
Are these separate stories or all pieces of the same story of how item two is not her fault? Jo lays out the facts, in a stream of conscious manner jumping back and forth between each story. She understands the reader will be skeptical and likely blame her, because she is to blame for item one. It’s a timely novel, in the midst of a culture that sometimes blames victims. That is what makes reading it a little uncomfortable. How does the reader engage with this story? Which parts do you wish were not there?
maryanneross's review against another edition
3.0
A good story, compelling themes, but disjointed, too much stream of consciousness for such a short book.
itsdeenlee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault