Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Exalted by Anna Dorn

3 reviews

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

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

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Infidelity