Scan barcode
seventhswan'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
4.5
The attention to detail throughout the story was impeccable. I felt throughout that Clark must have firsthand experience in the communities she writes about, or else have done incredible quantities of research, as all the minor details were so true to life. The setting was a character in its own right and I questioned whether it might be a real place (it isn't). Extreme acts of violence were depicted with such simplicity and restraint that they didn't feel all that affecting - until I tried to put the book down.
A few of the references and allusions in the text felt a bit on the nose for me - either have a generic noncy character or actual Jimmy Savile, but it annoys me to read about Definitely Jimmy Savile But With A Different Name And Haircut - but I loved this book on the whole, and it's cemented Eliza Clark as an "auto-buy" author for me.
Graphic: Death, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
nightstitch96's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicide, and Mass/school shootings
anissawren'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
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Self harm, and Stalking
bellsdixon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
carojust'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"Penance" focuses on the perspectives of four teen girls, schoolmates at a small coastal town in England. They are, at varying degrees, involved in the gruesome demise of Joni, a fellow student in their class.
The layer on top of this plot is that we are reading the POV of a fictional author who has interviewed the characters and researched Joni's case. He's an unreliable narrator to say the least. It's Inception-y, and lets us sit at a distance from the horror, like a sobering buffer.
With this in mind, Clark plays with our sense of what is real and what is not. I found myself Googling events that were completely fictional, though there are references to real platforms, psychopaths, books and a school shooting. This disorients you as a reader, and mimics the delusion and untruthiness taking place with the characters, and true crime in general.
What definitely feels real are the Tumblr posts, and the fangirls who idolize and fictionalize mass murderers. Clark spends a lot of time illustrating this world, and we sit in the discomfort for a while. It's a paradoxically naive and dark place.
I should add, the author purposefully avoids going into specifics of what these characters physically do to Joni
After assessing the TWs, I recommend this book as a dark, brutal, engaging read with the most well-crafted characters I've ever come across. Keep reminding yourself it's fiction, but not really.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
sophie______a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism
bionicfox666's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
kitfkat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Dementia, Abortion, and Lesbophobia
bethsreading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Eating disorder and Vomit
aquariusvintage's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault