Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

558 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This was a wild ride. Eliza Clark does unsettling really well, the book started off fairly normal but things took a turn for the “wtf did I just read” pretty quickly. All the characters are pretty terrible, but particularly Irina, whose descent into madness is depicted really well. I thought the ending was very abrupt, though? Like there wasn’t really any resolution and because of that I wasn’t surprised to learn that this was originally meant to be a short story. I’m going to need 2-3 business days to recover from reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

nithya_natalya's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

Was in the mood for something truly sickening, and this fit the bill, although it wasn't quite as vile as I was expecting based on some reviews on reddit. Irina's messiness and spiraling, and denial of her own trauma, and her desire to hurt herself, and then eventually others - all of it was deeply unsettling. Even her less directly harmful behavior is exposed and embarrassing. You will absolutely cringe your way through this. And the unhinged texts she'd send to people to manipulate them were so well written (absolutely horrific behavior!). Giving this a 4 because it did drag a bit in the middle, and I was also expecting it to escalate a lot sooner, so the pacing felt a little off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

randiymkje's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

5.0

Even if I felt uncomfortable reading some of this, it left me trying to grasp reality again and I don’t think I will ever forget it. A book that can properly disgust, anger and shock or invoke any other real feelings is deserving of my 5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

liv934's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

luc_as's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Vomit

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

maximea's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book got me out of a reading slump. American psycho meet the art scene.
A powerful exploration of gender roles, consent and sexuality.
This book was disturbing, gruesome and shockingly hilarious.


 "I wonder what the fuck I have to do for people to recognize me as a threat, you know? It's like... am I even doing this shit? Have I even fucking done anything?"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol

urfavgothlibrarian's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

phage90's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I came around to this book in the second half, and while there is a lack of character development, there is a logical progression. If you are fascinated by abhorrent women in literature, I highly recommend this book. I was fully engrossed in the point of view of a deviant woman that is devoid of the ability for human compassion.  Warning: It has very disturbing content. 

For what I think is the most disturbing, please view the spoilers below (I try to remain vague):

Person has an object inserted into their body without consent

 

Fetishization of young men/boys by protagonist

 

Targeting homeless/vulnerable people for sexual violence

 

Extensive emotional manipulation by protagonist toward LGTBQ friend

 

Depictions of drug use that reads as self-harm

   
This is not an exhaustive list.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, and Blood

carojust's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I keep saying I won't read more books like this, and I end up only reading books like this -- model-like waif girls who stumble through drugs, alcohol, vomiting (so much vomiting), questionable sex, and with smeared mascara and broken faces, always stare in the mirror to see how relentlessly beautiful they are. 

See: The Guest by Emma Cline, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon

What redeems "Boy Parts" from this tiring blueprint is the Gen Z sense of humor that gives the unreliable narrator, Irina, some personality. She's self-aware, albeit narcissistic, damaged, abusive and horrible, and going through her mental circus with her is incredibly entertaining and honestly thrilling. Eliza Clark gives structure and purpose to the mania, and her general commentary on pretty privilege, consent, sexual violence, and women's shift in power, is really well done. 

I recommend this if you're okay with hateable and gross characters, graphic content, and moral ambiguity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail