Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Exalted by Anna Dorn

6 reviews

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.0

A odd book with Emily & Dawn, two characters who are pretty unlikable, have incredibly messy lives, and are completely obsessed with astrology. Yet I was pretty sucked into reading their miserable altering POV chapters. Which is impressive because I normally DNF books with characters I dislike. It hits that sweet spot between loathsome & train wrecks you can’t look away from.

Still, it wouldn’t be on the top of my recommendation pile.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Alcohol

Moderate: Homophobia, Incest, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

tkhz's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.0

A dual-perspective novel following two astrology-obsessed main characters in Southern California who are disconnected from reality in their own ways. One is a delusionally confident, prone-to-arson late 40's lesbian, the other a mid-20's starving actress turned astrology influencer out of necessity.

Both of our narrators are deeply flawed people and the book explores how they see the same people and events in wildly different ways. However, while it's okay to have imperfect characters, I found myself pretty annoyed with both of them because of their delusional tendencies. It felt like both characters spent the entire story lying, daydreaming, manipulating people, and not really doing anything while facing no consequences or really changing as people.

I also was not a fan of the accidental incest plot twist. Felt too weird and unhinged even for a book that is inherently both of those things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual harassment

studydniowka's review against another edition

challenging dark funny 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

4.0

Weird book for all the astrology girlies.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, and Mental illness

evelovesreading's review against another edition

the homophobia, sexism and hate in general is just too much 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Lesbophobia

cookiecatherine's review against another edition

dark funny slow-paced

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

3.0

I've had two weeks to process this book and I still don't know what to say.

Did I like any of the characters or care about them? No.

Did I enjoy this read? Immensely.

I read this on a 10 hour flight, cackling all the while. So maybe it was (plane) cabin fever or jetlag delirium, but I had the time of my life reading this. But it's truly hilarious and the plot twist (which I want to talk about with someone. Anyone!) had me SCREAMING.

Sometimes it was extremely uncomfortable (so much internalized homophobia in the main characters, who are both queer) and neither main character is really redeemable. But it's kind of worth it for the deranged plot twist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Incest

viktorreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

A book about truly dreadful people. While I did give it a low rating, admittedly at times it was hard to put down as I wanted to see where exactly the story was going to go. Dorn does do a fantastic job at creating unlikeable characters. However Dawn’s switch to repenting mother felt like it came out of no where while I was reading. (Though at the end there’s an implication that she truly has not changed her ways.) My low rating is mostly for the Elon Musk glorification and the weird sudden switching Dawn does from abusive mother to “oh I feel so bad.” It seemed very out of character for her after she spent the entire book being an awful person. (I guess that’s one way to act after your son tells you he slept with his long lost sister. But I would have liked to see her reflect a tiny bit more.) Also Emily suddenly getting a huge book deal seemed unrealistic. (As someone who has tried to get published. Then again, I’ve never had a famous Instagram and an article of mine go viral!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts