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carlynicole5's review against another edition
4.0
not as thriller-y as i wanted, but a very very good story
frombethanysbookshelf's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Her, Too is a searing and timely exploration into the pitfalls and dangers of a corrupt justice system and the lasting damage of sexual abuse. I’ll just say first off that this was a difficult read, and I’m sure many other readers might find something the themes in this hard as well, but if you’re feeling up to it I’d definitely recommend trying because it captures the zeitgeist of the misogynistic culture we live in with startling clarity and is so compelling.
Our main character is a complicated one, extremely unlikable at the start and hypocritical but complex and showing us the deep inner workings of a corrupted system, and how someone could end up becoming as detached and bitter as she seems at first. She spent so long defending abusers because she wanted to win her cases, but now is coming to terms with the dire consequences of what she’s done, realising the pain and devastation these men have caused. As she begins her quest for revenge with the women she’s wronged, it’s clear she struggles to reconcile the things she’s done with the pain she’s feeling and what she has to lose — it takes a while to find something human in her, but her complexity and duality is what makes her so real when we start to see the vulnerabilities she’s been fighting to disguise.
Our story moves slowly, with gritty and uncomfortable settings that creeps along until it explodes into what can only be described as utter chaos — it’s set in a strange familiar world, where everything is so close to reality but shifted so slightly that you could almost question if it really happened and you somehow missed it.
Kelly acts as our main narrator with occasional recollections from the other women as they relive their horrific experiences and I immediately found connection and fury with their stories. Her storytelling was cold, clinical at first but slowly develops personality as the tension grows to a suffocating level while she continues to go to greater lengths to enact her final revenge as the secrets and lies of everyone around her start to finally come to light in something that seems ripped from the front page of a tabloid.
A striking, painfully relevant story with a cutting edge that holds a mirror to the women who have been made accessories to their own victimisation.
Our main character is a complicated one, extremely unlikable at the start and hypocritical but complex and showing us the deep inner workings of a corrupted system, and how someone could end up becoming as detached and bitter as she seems at first. She spent so long defending abusers because she wanted to win her cases, but now is coming to terms with the dire consequences of what she’s done, realising the pain and devastation these men have caused. As she begins her quest for revenge with the women she’s wronged, it’s clear she struggles to reconcile the things she’s done with the pain she’s feeling and what she has to lose — it takes a while to find something human in her, but her complexity and duality is what makes her so real when we start to see the vulnerabilities she’s been fighting to disguise.
Our story moves slowly, with gritty and uncomfortable settings that creeps along until it explodes into what can only be described as utter chaos — it’s set in a strange familiar world, where everything is so close to reality but shifted so slightly that you could almost question if it really happened and you somehow missed it.
Kelly acts as our main narrator with occasional recollections from the other women as they relive their horrific experiences and I immediately found connection and fury with their stories. Her storytelling was cold, clinical at first but slowly develops personality as the tension grows to a suffocating level while she continues to go to greater lengths to enact her final revenge as the secrets and lies of everyone around her start to finally come to light in something that seems ripped from the front page of a tabloid.
A striking, painfully relevant story with a cutting edge that holds a mirror to the women who have been made accessories to their own victimisation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Transphobia
mjsbooktopia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
4.0
read_watch_sarah's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
em_mcd's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-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
novelgossip's review against another edition
3.5
This was a powerful read in many ways and I can definitely see where the author was going but in the end I wanted more. It’s a pretty slow burn and given that it took a long time to get to the point it ended up being pretty predictable for me. Since it deals with sexual assault victims it’s very heavy and I think a faster pace may have helped more for me because since it was on the slower side it felt like I was living in a dark place alongside the characters almost too long. I had similar feelings with the authors last book so maybe it’s just that her style doesn’t quite work for me as well as I hope it will. Overall not a bad read though, very important and interesting topics covered just needed some more action. Definitely more of a lower suspense feel than a true mystery or thriller for me.
ondbookshelf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
abilyeu's review
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
TW: SA
I have to say, I really did not like this book at all up until chapter 24 (there's only 38 in the book) and even then I was pretty "meh" about it, I just needed to finish the story.
I like the word choice of the author, but putting this story together did not showcase any of her strong suites.
This book follows a lawyer who defends men accused of sex crimes until she falls victim herself, as you can assume from the title. The book is very heavy in the way that it deals with this important topic but overall, I found the storyline boring, unrealistic, and predictable. I saw the ending coming from a mile away (so in chapter 24 when the story finally picked up). The storyline was one of those "well what else can go wrong?" types. And finally, I get the "motive" for her pursuing this career path but it left me feeling disdain for the main character and I found it difficult to feel compassion for any of her choices.
Overall, 2.5 out of 5 stars.
I have to say, I really did not like this book at all up until chapter 24 (there's only 38 in the book) and even then I was pretty "meh" about it, I just needed to finish the story.
I like the word choice of the author, but putting this story together did not showcase any of her strong suites.
This book follows a lawyer who defends men accused of sex crimes until she falls victim herself, as you can assume from the title. The book is very heavy in the way that it deals with this important topic but overall, I found the storyline boring, unrealistic, and predictable. I saw the ending coming from a mile away (so in chapter 24 when the story finally picked up). The storyline was one of those "well what else can go wrong?" types. And finally, I get the "motive" for her pursuing this career path but it left me feeling disdain for the main character and I found it difficult to feel compassion for any of her choices.
Overall, 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
abilyeu's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
TW: SA
I have to say, I really did not like this book at all up until chapter 24 (there's only 38 in the book) and even then I was pretty "meh" about it, I just needed to finish the story.
I like the word choice of the author, but putting this story together did not showcase any of her strong suites.
This book follows a lawyer who defends men accused of sex crimes until she falls victim herself, as you can assume from the title. The book is very heavy in the way that it deals with this important topic but overall, I found the storyline boring, unrealistic, and predictable. I saw the ending coming from a mile away (so in chapter 24 when the story finally picked up). The storyline was one of those "well what else can go wrong?" types. And finally, I get the "motive" for her pursuing this career path but it left me feeling disdain for the main character and I found it difficult to feel compassion for any of her choices.
I have to say, I really did not like this book at all up until chapter 24 (there's only 38 in the book) and even then I was pretty "meh" about it, I just needed to finish the story.
I like the word choice of the author, but putting this story together did not showcase any of her strong suites.
This book follows a lawyer who defends men accused of sex crimes until she falls victim herself, as you can assume from the title. The book is very heavy in the way that it deals with this important topic but overall, I found the storyline boring, unrealistic, and predictable. I saw the ending coming from a mile away (so in chapter 24 when the story finally picked up). The storyline was one of those "well what else can go wrong?" types. And finally, I get the "motive" for her pursuing this career path but it left me feeling disdain for the main character and I found it difficult to feel compassion for any of her choices.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, and Murder