lynxpardinus's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Vomit, Slavery, Alcohol, Animal death, Police brutality, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty
writingcaia'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? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I also found profoundly impacting that we have a main character, Emira, who doesn’t ambition much and that has no idea what she wants to do with her life. It is a strange age. But, aren’t they all. No one should feel like they have to have a life plan, a perfect ambition. Not everyone needs that. I related to this a lot.
The book very much sank its teeth in me, thus I binged it in less than 5h, eager to see what would happen between Emira and her new white boyfriend and her new white boss, and what would result of their eagerness to support her, of their need to improve her life, measuring her as only a Black girl, as if they’re all the same, when Emira clearly knows what she doesn’t want, what she is, and only wants to be left alone and live a quiet normal adult life.
A great and eye opening read, that made me look inside my own privilege and preconceived ideas.
Graphic: Racism, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship
radfordmanor's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Racism, and Toxic relationship
sib_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, and Police brutality
Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
cammiem8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Fatphobia, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Body shaming, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Animal death
bree_klass's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Ried puts white privilege on blast with this book (as they should). the biggest takeaway for me, that I haven’t seen in other novels centred around race, was how white people always find a way to centre themselves in situations that aren’t even about them.
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Racism
Moderate: Hate crime
Minor: Racial slurs
jojo_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Classism, Cultural appropriation, and Racism
Moderate: Bullying, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit, Stalking, Animal death, Death of parent, and Police brutality
marionlundqvist's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, and Animal death
slimepuppy's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
God, what a drag.
Awful dialogue, boring prose, flat characters and the absence of anything that could resemble a plot for half of the book. Other than the market incident, nothing major happens till past the halfway mark of the book, at yet another boring scene that doesn't really convey any of the tension it was supposed to.
Not a single character was interesting or sympathetic - and I love books with awful characters, don't get me wrong. But they have to be charming, or interesting or at least deliver something of substance. Emira and Alix were both annoying, whiny and flat, and the supporting cast was not any better.
Spoiler
One moment really bothered me - Emira realizing that she loved child caring while helping Briar, only to end up working at an office. I get that it's realistic etc etc, but this book was such a downer, I really hoped that she would at least get that slimmer of positivity. Nope, dreary, passionless job it is.I'm just so relieved I'm done with this book, and I'm never touching another Kiley Reid book again.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Toxic friendship
kellyofcali's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Gaslighting
Minor: Police brutality