abookandaspotoftea's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death of parent, Rape, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, and Gaslighting
theonlybaillie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual content, Child death, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Trafficking, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
The whole book is a TW honestly loldrraytay's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Death, Violence, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and Gaslighting
clarereadstheworld's review
- 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
1.0
I really struggled to identify with the main character, who was so desperate for any tiny scrap of validation from the male gaze that she was totally blind to how grossly she was being manipulated and abused by those around her. I know this kind of thing happens in real life, and it's important to have books and discussions about it, but I felt the writing, much like the main character was sorely missing in depth and maturity.
Not only this, I think it would be a rather dangerous book from the impressionable younger audience it seems to be written and marketed to. Seriously, do not let younger girls read this book, and even as a full grown semi mature adult I wouldn't really recommend it either.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
thebookstagrambabe's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book had one too many plots and was way too graphic. It seemed to glorify abusing beautiful women and there really is no resolve to this book. We just find out what happens and then fade to black. Like WHAT?! There is no conclusion here. No, she finds out and tries to stop it. Basically this book is just a big middle finger to woman and to tell them don't even try to help because the bad guys are always gonna win and the people you think are good guys aren't. Maybe I'm just too bright eyed, but this book was just not it.
Thanks to the publisher for an ALC in return for an honest review. This book releases 9/13
Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Gore, Death, Rape, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Classism, and Adult/minor relationship
lrcartee's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
2.0
I love Courtney Summers books. I love how she tackles difficult subjects and brings them to light. I wanted to love this book. I did not. There were so many plot points that it was very hard to decide how to write a synopsis. Was it about Georgia’s obsession with the resort and the people who run it? Was it the fact Georgia found the dead body of a 13 year old girl and trying to solve the mystery of what happened to her? Was it about trying to spotlight a young girl’s naïveté and thereby unable to see the dangers that lurked around her? I don’t know! It was all those things and didn’t do any of them particularly well. It was too disjointed and because of that nothing really resolved. As for character development, there was none. Georgia wandered in and out of so many traumatic experiences seemingly learning nothing from any of them. She became very trying.
The blurb for this book says it’s about Georgia and her friend trying to find out what happened to her friend’s sister. To me this was secondary. In my opinion, it was more about Georgia fulfilling her dreams no matter the cost and sometimes stumbling upon something about the murder case, usually by being in situations from very poor decision making.
Another reviewer wrote that the entire book was a giant trigger warning and I agree. They were all represented, rape, child molestation, grooming, human trafficking, murder, suicide, drug use, classism and more. For me, the book needed more cohesion. As I said I have loved Summers other books but this one, for me, was just too all over the place.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Car accident, Classism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Drug abuse
blueeyedshook's review against another edition
But what I do know is that this is not a book I would recommend a teen. And the point of the book is to get an important message across to teens. But instead of teaching a valuable lesson and imparting a message, because of Georgia’s naïveté I feel like the message is more harmful.
It is also just a painful, disturbing book to read. Like make me physically ill. And I can only count a handful of books that have done that to me.
I just think it’s a bit too gritty and graphic for YA.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Lesbophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexism, Cursing, and Physical abuse