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Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'
Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans
11 reviews
bookishbrenbren's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Bianca Torre is an awkward, anxious, introverted anime lover (relatable amiright?) who loves birdwatching and (despite the fact that their twenty-third ranked fear is "Being Watched") neighbor-watching. Unfortunately, this hobby of theirs exposes them to fear #3: Murder and fear #5: Dead Bodies, when they see their stranger-neighbor-friend die at the hands of someone in a black cloak and a plague mask. After they go to the tragically unhelpful cops, Bianca and their anime-loving bestie must investigate this crime on their own, even earning a spot on the murderer's hit list themselves.
Half murder-mystery, half coming-of-age/teenage-identity-exploration, this book was insanely lovable. The witty humor, the absurd mystery plot, the awkwardness, the anxiety, the enby rep, it all adds up to deliver an extremely enjoyable read. Mystery, thrillers, and suspense in general are not my genres, but the blurb just sounded too fun and different to not pick it up and I'm so happy I did.
My favorite thing about the book is the main character's arc. Bianca starts the novel timid, lonely, controlled by their fears, and sorta kinda unhappy in a vague way, but by the end of the book, Bianca is trying new things, making new friends, meeting new people, even talking to a crush! They also take a huge step in improving their happiness and comfort - they explore their gender identity and expression and find new pronouns that feel like a better fit (also, they punch a murderer in the face so that helps with the confidence, I imagine).
I did think, however, that the book could have benefitted from stronger edits - for one thing, the exploration of MC's gender is delivered in dry, stultifying monologues multiple paragraphs in length that don't really make sense with the MC's personality. One chapter they're an awkward lesbian sheep, the next chapter they speak with the confidence of an expert on gender expression and societal standards and gatekeeping? I mean don't get me wrong, I was happy to read these parts, and I think they were written well but they felt out of place for Bianca's campy teen thriller - it sometimes came off more like an educational nonfic or memoir? That being said, I'm glad publishing money is being dedicated to stories of gender exploration and questioning and I hope to see more stories like Bianca's in the future. Another picky thing I think the editor missed was how many "rich white lady" jokes there are. I mean I'm going to laugh at a white lady joke as much as the next millennial... the *first* time, but by the tenth joke it just felt like they were really milking that low hanging fruit for all it was worth lmao.
Half murder-mystery, half coming-of-age/teenage-identity-exploration, this book was insanely lovable. The witty humor, the absurd mystery plot, the awkwardness, the anxiety, the enby rep, it all adds up to deliver an extremely enjoyable read. Mystery, thrillers, and suspense in general are not my genres, but the blurb just sounded too fun and different to not pick it up and I'm so happy I did.
My favorite thing about the book is the main character's arc. Bianca starts the novel timid, lonely, controlled by their fears, and sorta kinda unhappy in a vague way, but by the end of the book, Bianca is trying new things, making new friends, meeting new people, even talking to a crush! They also take a huge step in improving their happiness and comfort - they explore their gender identity and expression and find new pronouns that feel like a better fit (also, they punch a murderer in the face so that helps with the confidence, I imagine).
I did think, however, that the book could have benefitted from stronger edits - for one thing, the exploration of MC's gender is delivered in dry, stultifying monologues multiple paragraphs in length that don't really make sense with the MC's personality. One chapter they're an awkward lesbian sheep, the next chapter they speak with the confidence of an expert on gender expression and societal standards and gatekeeping? I mean don't get me wrong, I was happy to read these parts, and I think they were written well but they felt out of place for Bianca's campy teen thriller - it sometimes came off more like an educational nonfic or memoir? That being said, I'm glad publishing money is being dedicated to stories of gender exploration and questioning and I hope to see more stories like Bianca's in the future. Another picky thing I think the editor missed was how many "rich white lady" jokes there are. I mean I'm going to laugh at a white lady joke as much as the next millennial... the *first* time, but by the tenth joke it just felt like they were really milking that low hanging fruit for all it was worth lmao.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
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