Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

15 reviews

bluelilyleest's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

First book in a while that has kept me up at night reading! So I think that's deserving of four stars. I don't usually read thrillers, but this one kept me captivated until the very end even despite if it sometimes feels a little tropey. Also the plottwist in the middle!!! I gasped out loud.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

assesgrass's review against another edition

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

5.0

Unbelievably good. 

I don't state that lightly, this had flaws but none of the flaws could have taken away the rating I gave this. 

Carly, a young woman in her first year away from her abusive father, gets paired into a dorm with a older student; Allison. She's everything Carly wants to be, and Carly is protective. 

Scarlett, a English professor with a hidden motive, she's a murderer. Not just anyone however, men who deserve it. 

I loved the LGBTQAI+ representation, and it wasn't portrayed as taboo like some books do it. The characters were unique, I especially loved Mikayla and Wes, both well written background/side characters with bigger roles near the ending. 

I did not expect that twist half way through and i am honestly so surprised, it's so different. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

ibeau's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Slay

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

kitandink's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

well! 

also, hell of a plot twist

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, and Toxic friendship

zombiezami's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, Vomit, and Medical content

Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent

bringitona's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Grief, Stalking, Car accident, and Death of parent

msradiosilence's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

TLDR; 3 rating, I love women’s wrongs, I love queer women, but there is something missing here.

Content warnings at the bottom. :)

I am a sucker for bisexual female main characters, and this one kills men who hurt women?? It sounded so far up my alley. I went in hoping Scarlett and Carly would team up and take down all the horrible men on Gorman’s campus but that’s just…not exactly what happened.

So Scarlett and Carly are the same person. I figured that out just a little bit before the reveal, so cheers!

I really appreciated Carly’s arc, but because the time was ambiguous, the four or five page chapters and then the switches back and forth between Carly and Scarlett did give me whiplash in a few places. I understand why (to keep you on the edge of your seats during tense moments) but there was something lost in the back and forth. 

I’ve seen a lot of people complain about how there’s quite literally a single man in this book who is a genuinely good guy, and it’s sort of explained away because he’s gay. I think people pointing this out are missing the fact that Scarlett is a horrendously unreliable narrator. Someone described this as genderbent American Psycho, and while I’ve never read that book, I’ve seen plenty of reviewers who bite back at incel misogynists who look up to Patrick Bateman enough to realize that the comparison is likely an apt one. Scarlett is so consumed with her belief that men ain’t shit, and while it’s very likely the men she kills haven’t committed crimes egregious enough for the reader to sentence them to death, Scarlett’s had enough. She reads a lot into situations, often colored by her own trauma, and since this is from her perspective, we should take her observations with a grain of salt (in most cases). With the exception of Drew, all the men in this book read as horrible predators, and we as the audience only have Scarlett to rely on until another character confirms it (Mina with Kinnear,

Mikayla with Jasper

, jury’s still out on Stright). But whether you believe Scarlett or not, the point is she’s unreliable, but these men are still pretty awful.

And that’s the point, isn’t it? It’s a cautionary tale against trust, because it’s not always the ones you don’t know. Scarlett is a dream, and one that I’ve heard quite a few of my friends echo. Because even in the year of our lorde 2023, the doctors and the deans in Carly’s storyline are still saying the same shit. I saw it happen in undergrad to friends of mine. We have a long, long way to go before the events in this book are only the work of fiction.

Anyway. I thought the book was fine but it didn’t change my life. So, solid three stars.

Rating: 3

Would I recommend? A tentative yes, but mostly for the TWs and content.

Content warnings: Graphic: Fire, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Gore, Grief, Sexism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content (about sexual assault), Sexual content (on page, consensual), Sexual harassment, Blood, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence. Moderate: Death of parent, Rape (mentioned, not on page), Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Suicide (mentioned). Minor: Torture (mentioned), Car accident, and Drug use

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Torture, and Car accident

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Carly was really giving 2012 fanfiction main character with her “i’m not like other girls, no one would find plain old me attractive, i only wear black and Doc Martens” and it was annoying. the first major twist was good but i guessed the later one right away, so after

the halfway mark

the story felt predictable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, and Car accident

froggydanny's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Cursing and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief, and Medical trauma

bitchigo's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, and Stalking