Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

16 reviews

oz2021's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Infidelity

yleavy's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• 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? Yes

2.75

Some sweet moments, and I can see why people like this book. The characters all have moments of charm in that “uni student who thinks they are quirky” sort of way. The dialogue felt like it was coming from an afterschool special, with the characters using therapy words or helping each other reach a profound revelation in every conversation. Without the tense changes, the characters’ POVs would be difficult to tell apart, and the analogies were often more distracting than fitting. Examples include “our tongues shook hands” and “my heart grows thicker”. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Deadnaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Transphobia, Vomit, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

imlfox's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Deadnaming

junglejelly's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish I hadn't read Bellies so fast but I couldn't put it down. Everything about it is just phenomenal. Easily one of my favourite books that I have read in a long time.

While incredibly sad and hard to read at times, the writing is so captivating and the characters you come to care for so easily.

A book that will be hard to forget but easy to love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, and Transphobia

Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Medical content

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Definitely need more stories about the trans experience, but this story was told so poorly that I hated every minute of it. There are so few books on trans people that I felt like I had to finish it. Ordinarily, I would’ve DNFd it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Dysphoria

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

This was such a tender read that follows Ming and Tom’s relationship (romantic, platonic, and non-speaking terms) over the years. We read how two people continue to yearn for and ruminate on the past, and feel so isolated to their present lives.

There’s a “is this fucking play about us?”moment, and though these characters work through seething anger, betrayal, and heartache, it’s ultimately about the gratitude, melancholy, simmering pain, and reverence we hold for past connections. 

If you enjoyed Normal People by Sally Rooney and Ariana Grande’s eternal sunshine (read: i wish i hated you, bye, & we can’t be friends), this is your book! (Also, this review doesn't do this book justice & I may try to come back & write a more detailed review .... one day!)

Thank you to my friend @maddysbookopinions for speaking so highly of this book & moving it up on my TBR!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pandemic/Epidemic

zemily83's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic

anaheeta's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This felt like reading a memoir, I mean that in the sense that all characters and events and feelings were so fleshed out that it felt like I was reading about the people through their own minds. It was emotional and heartbreaking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Mental illness, Transphobia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Dementia, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Dementia and Death of parent

kirstym25's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Transphobia, and Grief

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity and Car accident