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elliebunnbunn31's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
g_arty's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
lydiavsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Irina is a truly unhinged protagonist, through whose perspective we explore themes of power, sexuality, gender and art. She is a character entirely detached from her own emotions and the impact she has on other people. We watch her slowly becoming more and more detached from reality as she takes increasingly drastic measures to provoke a response from others to prove that she has an impact.
It shared similarities with My Year of Rest and Relaxation, but for me it felt more deliberately crafted and with more to say. I'd recommend this (with caution around triggers) to anyone wanting a gritty story that looks into power, potency and the perverted art world: a psychodynamic fever dream.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
lilyvs'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder
purplepickle's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death
alexandra__rae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
aileron's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death and Self harm
Minor: Body shaming and Classism
twentythreeandahalf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
yorggeorg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Sexual harassment
unhingedreader's review
- 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
5.0
This book is a very visceral read, without giving too much away it has an unreliable narrator and many twists and turns.
Irina is the kind of friend that you warn people about, she is manipulative and gaslights those around her. Somewhat similar to a car crash scene that you know you shouldn’t look at, but can’t quite look away from. She has some interesting pastimes including drug and alcohol abuse, which she seems to utilise as a crutch to escape her current reality of the under appreciated artist. Apart from her bar job her main career focus is photographing generic looking men that she scouts on the streets of Newcastle. Her photography specialises on fetish art and the book follows her attempting to revive her career whilst being entirely horrible to anyone in her vicinity.
There’s many reasons I enjoyed this book, it sticks with you. Irina’s perspective will have you want to laugh at her dark wit and recoil at her true desires.
I have had the pleasure of meeting the author Eliza Clark who is a very down to earth person that writes some pretty messed up books. I would look into some of her interviews because I really think it adds to the overall narrative of the book.
Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism