papsby's review against another edition
2.0
First thoughts: okay cool a little raw but shit what a life crazy right?
After two chapters and Googling author: fuck this book. What seemed like a somehow detached emotionality was actually tone deaf misery porn. Was "JT" making a point about modern obsession with trauma and voyeuristic abuse fetishism, or did she just want to sell some books and play out her own beautiful dark twisted fantasy on readers and glitzies alike? Honestly I don't give a shit because that might have played in the 90s but after years of irony and abuse sharing the twitter timeline with no monetary incentive I think I'll take the 280 over this waste of paper.
After two chapters and Googling author: fuck this book. What seemed like a somehow detached emotionality was actually tone deaf misery porn. Was "JT" making a point about modern obsession with trauma and voyeuristic abuse fetishism, or did she just want to sell some books and play out her own beautiful dark twisted fantasy on readers and glitzies alike? Honestly I don't give a shit because that might have played in the 90s but after years of irony and abuse sharing the twitter timeline with no monetary incentive I think I'll take the 280 over this waste of paper.
sadiereadsagain's review against another edition
4.0
I didn't really care about the whole drama surrounding JT Leroy when I read this, about whether he really existed or was a made up character (which it now turns out "he" was) in turn writing works of fiction based on a life which is also a work of fiction... I still don't care that JT didn't actually exist - it doesn't take away from the writing or the story in my eyes. Perhaps it displays even more storytelling talent on the author's part?
I found "The Heart..." to be more realistic than "Sarah" was, there was no away-with-the-fairies stuff, apart from incidents which you are made aware are the delusions of the characters rather than something the reader has to suspend belief in. I liked the way it kind of jumped about in places, and you had to keep reading for it all to make sense. I do enjoy stories like that, which reward you for reading on and putting some thought into the words as you take them in. And again, as in "Sarah", its written perfectly from the point-of-view of the child narrator, with wonderful child-like interpretations of the adult world, especially the crystal meth part. Its a dark and dirty book too, one that makes you feel unease and real emotion as you read it. LeRoy has a voice that weaves intriguing stories, but stories which still leave room for your own diagnosis.
I found "The Heart..." to be more realistic than "Sarah" was, there was no away-with-the-fairies stuff, apart from incidents which you are made aware are the delusions of the characters rather than something the reader has to suspend belief in. I liked the way it kind of jumped about in places, and you had to keep reading for it all to make sense. I do enjoy stories like that, which reward you for reading on and putting some thought into the words as you take them in. And again, as in "Sarah", its written perfectly from the point-of-view of the child narrator, with wonderful child-like interpretations of the adult world, especially the crystal meth part. Its a dark and dirty book too, one that makes you feel unease and real emotion as you read it. LeRoy has a voice that weaves intriguing stories, but stories which still leave room for your own diagnosis.
headfirstslides's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
hanya yanagihara wishes she could write this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Vomit, Drug abuse, Addiction, Incest, Rape, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Medical content
anthyi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
fast-paced
- 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
2.5
beltonpham's review against another edition
4.0
(this version also contained 7 extra short stories at the end. I didn't read those ones so I'm only gonna be reviewing the actual novel and not the extra stories lol)
oh my god. I genuinely do not know how to review this book. this is by far the craziest, wildest, most insane book I have ever read in my entire life. I sort of knew what I was getting myself into when I first picked up the book at my local goodwill but good god I was not expecting that to this level. this book destroyed my mental health. the writing was absolutely sublime tho. I was speeding thru the pages, I was eager to keep reading. it was such an intriguing story and I just couldn't get enough of it. it's not only the story that fascinated me but its also just the psychology of all his trauma. the characters just feel so realistic and they are so well created it's actually amazing. I enjoyed this book so so so so much. my mouth actually dropped multiple times throughout the book bc of how shocking the contents are. please if you are planning on reading this book please review all the trigger warnings before doing so bc I did not and it certainly caught me off guard. and there are quite a few trigger warnings. I just feel so bad for Jeremiah and all the troubles he's been thru. bro especially the whole thing with him and his religious grandfather. oh my god that whole story got me so good. that was actually devastating. there were multiple points in the book where I actually just had to stop reading bc the story just got too dark for me I couldn't handle it. also some of the characters in the book are low-key racist too?????? like this girl says the n word like 10 times and there was something about Chinese eyes in there. yeah I did not appreciate that. anyways it was just an amazing story. I really appreciate how jt Leroy does more than just explain these bad things but rather she builds on these stories and adds the psychology of each character bc it makes the story seem so much more realistic and so much more interesting. like learning about how Jeremiah thinks is probably my favorite part of this whole book. the way he was raised just causes his mind to think in a certain way and at the same time it affects his narration of the book and it is just so freaking cool. seeing the relationship btwn Sarah and Jeremiah is just so fascinating. the love Jeremiah has for Sarah (if you even wanna call it love) is just so freaking interesting to learn about. I just can't get enough of it. also the last chapter was incredible. I think it was the perfect way to end the whole book. I think it wrapped everything about his psychology up very nicely. I just was not expecting some bdsm LMFAOO. this book has made me feel emotions no other book has ever made me feel before and I am so happy I got to read this book. but at the same time it freaking destroyed me so. it only just gets minus one star bc this is just not a genre I'd usually read and one that I probs will not return to LMAO. it's just a lil too dark for my taste. and those racist bits also did not impress me. but by far one of the most interesting books I have read all year. if you think you are ready to handle this book please read it. if you are not strong mentally please do not read it. also read the trigger warnings before reading this book. absolutely fantastic read.
oh my god. I genuinely do not know how to review this book. this is by far the craziest, wildest, most insane book I have ever read in my entire life. I sort of knew what I was getting myself into when I first picked up the book at my local goodwill but good god I was not expecting that to this level. this book destroyed my mental health. the writing was absolutely sublime tho. I was speeding thru the pages, I was eager to keep reading. it was such an intriguing story and I just couldn't get enough of it. it's not only the story that fascinated me but its also just the psychology of all his trauma. the characters just feel so realistic and they are so well created it's actually amazing. I enjoyed this book so so so so much. my mouth actually dropped multiple times throughout the book bc of how shocking the contents are. please if you are planning on reading this book please review all the trigger warnings before doing so bc I did not and it certainly caught me off guard. and there are quite a few trigger warnings. I just feel so bad for Jeremiah and all the troubles he's been thru. bro especially the whole thing with him and his religious grandfather. oh my god that whole story got me so good. that was actually devastating. there were multiple points in the book where I actually just had to stop reading bc the story just got too dark for me I couldn't handle it. also some of the characters in the book are low-key racist too?????? like this girl says the n word like 10 times and there was something about Chinese eyes in there. yeah I did not appreciate that. anyways it was just an amazing story. I really appreciate how jt Leroy does more than just explain these bad things but rather she builds on these stories and adds the psychology of each character bc it makes the story seem so much more realistic and so much more interesting. like learning about how Jeremiah thinks is probably my favorite part of this whole book. the way he was raised just causes his mind to think in a certain way and at the same time it affects his narration of the book and it is just so freaking cool. seeing the relationship btwn Sarah and Jeremiah is just so fascinating. the love Jeremiah has for Sarah (if you even wanna call it love) is just so freaking interesting to learn about. I just can't get enough of it. also the last chapter was incredible. I think it was the perfect way to end the whole book. I think it wrapped everything about his psychology up very nicely. I just was not expecting some bdsm LMFAOO. this book has made me feel emotions no other book has ever made me feel before and I am so happy I got to read this book. but at the same time it freaking destroyed me so. it only just gets minus one star bc this is just not a genre I'd usually read and one that I probs will not return to LMAO. it's just a lil too dark for my taste. and those racist bits also did not impress me. but by far one of the most interesting books I have read all year. if you think you are ready to handle this book please read it. if you are not strong mentally please do not read it. also read the trigger warnings before reading this book. absolutely fantastic read.
dajna's review
3.0
I've been wanting this book for decades, but it was hard to find it here in Italy. And when I've been abroad I constantly forgot to buy a copy.
So, finally a friend brought it to me from the US, but I'm now a little too old to enjoy it.
It's so '90s! And let's face it: tv went a long way into showing us battered and abused children, I developed a sort of resilience for this kind of fiction.
So, a 14 year old girls gives birth to a baby boy. He's taken into foster care and he has a normal life until, 4 years later, the real mother reclaims it. Despite being obviously unfit to raise a child, social services give him back to her. When we met Sarah's - the mother - parents we understand she's been abused too, but that doesn't excuse the physical and mental torture she methodically applies to her child.
We all know now that the book is fictional and J.T. LeRoy is a pseudonym, but I wonder how it would be reading it and believing it was a true story.
So, finally a friend brought it to me from the US, but I'm now a little too old to enjoy it.
It's so '90s! And let's face it: tv went a long way into showing us battered and abused children, I developed a sort of resilience for this kind of fiction.
So, a 14 year old girls gives birth to a baby boy. He's taken into foster care and he has a normal life until, 4 years later, the real mother reclaims it. Despite being obviously unfit to raise a child, social services give him back to her. When we met Sarah's - the mother - parents we understand she's been abused too, but that doesn't excuse the physical and mental torture she methodically applies to her child.
We all know now that the book is fictional and J.T. LeRoy is a pseudonym, but I wonder how it would be reading it and believing it was a true story.
nellusso's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-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
0.25
ramblingbard's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
saraklem's review
3.0
Definitely super plot-driven and hard to put down, but at the same time, just not that well-written. Unnecessarily gory for sure. Kinda wish I learned about the JT Leroy scandal after reading this.
lear2696's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0