Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Love & Virtue

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Love & Virtue by Diana Reid

64 reviews

ssaammii's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

This novel resonated with me due to the familiarity of the setting and context which I myself have lived. I do not think I would have been as compelled had it not been for the mirror it seemed to provide for the relationships I had during my late teens and early 20s.

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aghie's review

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emotional reflective 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

2.75

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katiejane's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Listened to the audiobook nicely narrated by Emma Leonard.

Nothing super new here, but I'm glad I read this book. Reid was just 24 when she wrote it, and it was interesting to see how a young person in 2021 was thinking about these issues.

I found the characters and dialogue believable. And I think Reid's done well to capture the tendency in academia to analyse, philosophise and extrapolate meaning from personal experiences often to the detriment of the person trying to process/live with them. And that doing this without the person's consent is another way to violate them. And that there's a tension here between wanting to think deeply and conceptually about things without becoming and object yourself. There's more to unpick here, but I think the novel's strength is its unending cry for its protagonist to be seen as a whole messy person wanting as much agency and autonomy as possible despite the labels thrown on her.

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racheandrews's review against another edition

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reflective medium-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

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lucyclaire's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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gracehowe's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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annabelle6969's review against another edition

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dark funny reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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phantomeyer's review against another edition

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challenging reflective 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

5.0

Had me worried with the student/teacher relationship, but I recognise that it served a narrative purpose.

Once I realised I was not going to enjoy this book, I found it to be an impressive example of just-subtle-enough social commentary, which would occasionally flare to an almost satirical criticism.

I’ve read reviews bemoaning that Reid did not apply the same focused lens to every issue raised throughout the novel, but I personally am glad of it, as I think this would have needlessly weighed down the story and lessened the impact of the themes she chose to prioritise. You can’t criticise everything that’s wrong with people and their relationships in one book.

Love & Virtue reflected just enough of the flawed characters and attitudes I’ve encountered in my own life to make it feel distinctly tangible, as well as a little uncomfortable. It’s been some time since I’ve felt that way about a book. I hope Reid’s other works reach this same level of complexity.

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