nostoat's review against another edition
5.0
I want to hug Vanessa. I expect she would look at me like a freak for doing it and that's okay. This book is fucked up! Made my skin crawl and my insides squirm. But it's a good book, a book that doesn't shy away from the maze of overlapping and contradictory thoughts and feelings that a victim of childhood abuse will experience over years and years of interacting with the abuser, trying not to interact with the abuser, being pushed away by the abuser, etc. Vanessa is a teenage girl, and no teenage girl is uncomplicated, and Kate Elizabeth Russell does her the honor and respect of allowing her every bit of her complicated space on page. Bless every woman writing about complicated angry teenage girls going through unimaginable things, because they exist everywhere in the world and they should exist in books too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia and Rape
treenakar's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Rape, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content
alishamegan's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
this book should replace all copies of lolita, especially in classrooms/english lit syllabuses. this book is what lolita should have been imo sorry not sorry. how good can your book really be at being anti-p****phillia and anti-CSA if even TODAY let alone when it was written people read it and blame the girl child for her CSA and sympathise with the abuser?
if masses of people misinterpret your book for exactly the opposite message of what you as the author intended maybe it is not a good enough book to convey that message?
if society has not reached that level of collective consciousness where they would read lolita and automatically condemn the abuser and rally around the victim-survivor then maybe it needs to be more EXPLICITLY anti-CSA and supportive of the victim?
THIS book is that. By being from the perspective of the girl child (and later woman) and her being a complicated, 'imperfect' (whatever that and whatever 'perfect' is meant to be) victim-survivor it gives a real, grounded narrative and experience.
I felt sick reading this but I could not stop reading it constantly. It also made me angry.
men are so $%^$%&$^*"^%^$%^5 URGH like FUCK OFF YOU CREEP
if masses of people misinterpret your book for exactly the opposite message of what you as the author intended maybe it is not a good enough book to convey that message?
if society has not reached that level of collective consciousness where they would read lolita and automatically condemn the abuser and rally around the victim-survivor then maybe it needs to be more EXPLICITLY anti-CSA and supportive of the victim?
THIS book is that. By being from the perspective of the girl child (and later woman) and her being a complicated, 'imperfect' (whatever that and whatever 'perfect' is meant to be) victim-survivor it gives a real, grounded narrative and experience.
I felt sick reading this but I could not stop reading it constantly. It also made me angry.
Spoiler
I wanted the man to die and he did so that felt good.men are so $%^$%&$^*"^%^$%^5 URGH like FUCK OFF YOU CREEP
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
liv54kmg's review
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- 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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Pedophilia
milesbian's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape
aaliyahjn's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
This book was so raw, dark, and honest. It was also very aggravating, but in a way that made sense for the characters and the story. I have mixed feelings about this book, although it is not in a negative way. I just can’t decide how to rate it because it felt like an experience rather than a story. That may not make sense to some, but I can’t find another way to describe it. Part of me feels like this is a must-read and the other part of me wants to tell people to never pick this book up. If you do decide to read this, definitely have a feel-good book ready to read afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Child abuse
carlaaaaa's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, and Adult/minor relationship
riddhima_rat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
i love this book so much, god she was just a girl
monsters and girls is a bedtime story for the disturbed
read this again for the fifth time probably in like 4 days
makes me sick, makes me sad
god i love this one
every time i read this, i feel an incomparable influx of emotions and i am here for it
monsters and girls is a bedtime story for the disturbed
read this again for the fifth time probably in like 4 days
makes me sick, makes me sad
god i love this one
every time i read this, i feel an incomparable influx of emotions and i am here for it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Pedophilia
miiareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- 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? It's complicated
3.25
Kuunneltu englanniksi. Lukija oli hyvä, sillä eri-ikäisten päähenkilöiden välillä oli vaihtelua äänensävyssä ja ylipäätään lukemistavassa. Kirja olisi voinut olla huomattavasti lyhyempi, toistoa oli aika paljon. Mielestäni päähenkilö oli aika ärsyttävä, mutta ainahan päähenkilöstä ei tarvitse pitää. En tiedä mitä mieltä olin lopusta, tavallaan se oli aika todenmukainen, mutta ehkä olisin toivonut tältä tarinalta jotain muuta. Kuitenkin todella synkkä ja tarpeellinen kertomus vakavista asioista, mutta toteutus ontui hieman.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Mental illness
valeriaxo's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Death