kelleykamanda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Body shaming, Injury/injury detail, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Self harm, Fatphobia, and Physical abuse
Minor: Excrement
Rape of a minor by a parentbookishbrenbren's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Spoiler
the mother's version of the incest rape story, I think it cheapened the story and sensationalized the rape, which I can never respect.Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Excrement, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Gun violence
nataliesbee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Excrement
Minor: Fatphobia
lauramparis's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Death of parent, Excrement, and Body shaming
Minor: Blood, Miscarriage, Rape, Confinement, Gun violence, Murder, Vomit, and Kidnapping
devilconcrete's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Horrendous cast of characters with wretched thoughts and wretched actions.
Reading this book and observing these characters was like pulling entertainment from footage of a trainwreck. But I couldn't bring myself out of it. Riveting.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Bullying, Drug use, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Excrement, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Homophobia, Incest, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
celbl8o's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Grief, Gun violence, Body shaming, Incest, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Animal death
pumpkinbread02's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, and Rape
Moderate: Vomit and Gun violence
Minor: Excrement and Death of parent
eib_21's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Injury/injury detail, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, and Body shaming
edamamebean's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Incest, Blood, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Rape, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Excrement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Drug use, Death of parent, Cursing, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Fatphobia, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Stalking, and Blood
belleor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Addiction, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Rape, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Injury/injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Incest, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Self harm
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Confinement, Gore, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Animal death and Blood
Extra content warning for the existential dread that’s portrayed for the most part of the novel (I’m thinking of others with existential OCD like me)—HOWEVER important to note that everything changes for Eileen at a certain point in the book and she undergoes a paradigm shift where one (seemingly insignificant thing) makes her realise that her life can have meaning. I found it SUPER cathartic in this way so I’m glad I kept going even though up until then her existential angst was hard to read. ~~~ Why there’s so many TWs - read to get a more accurate perspective on whether it’s the kind of book for you (spoiler free): This book is written from the perspective of Eileen writing about her young adulthood—as an elderly person. A lot of her dark thoughts & xenophobia come from the time when she grew up and the lack of love/care she received as a child. In this way I found it somewhat easier to suspend my reaction to some of the awful things she said. Additionally, Eileen, at the age she is writing the story, wants to portray what kind of person she was back then—warts and all—without trying to distract from what she feels are negative & toxic traits by inspiring sympathy. In this way it’s aggressively honest and Eileen doesn’t want to shield her past self from the judgement she feels she deserves.