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cvallet's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault
uhhjeepers's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m finding it difficult to rate this book.
It was such a unique reading experience for me. I’ve never really read something this ambiguous or collective. I’ve left feeling like I hardly know these characters, hardly know what happened, but that doesn’t really feel bad the way you’d think.
Part of me feels like that’s intentional. The repetition of “we” throughout the book implies they hardly know themselves without each other. They only know the whole. As adults they still don’t really know. They all seem stuck and confused and generally unhappy in one way or another.
I think I feel fondly about it because that’s the type of girlhood I feel I’m always experiencing. Being brutish and hardly girly to the point where girl becomes subjective and questionable. Feeling sad and confused and lost yet still at wonder with the world.
This book isn’t at all what you’ll expect going into it, but if you need it, you’ll know.
It was such a unique reading experience for me. I’ve never really read something this ambiguous or collective. I’ve left feeling like I hardly know these characters, hardly know what happened, but that doesn’t really feel bad the way you’d think.
Part of me feels like that’s intentional. The repetition of “we” throughout the book implies they hardly know themselves without each other. They only know the whole. As adults they still don’t really know. They all seem stuck and confused and generally unhappy in one way or another.
I think I feel fondly about it because that’s the type of girlhood I feel I’m always experiencing. Being brutish and hardly girly to the point where girl becomes subjective and questionable. Feeling sad and confused and lost yet still at wonder with the world.
This book isn’t at all what you’ll expect going into it, but if you need it, you’ll know.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Fire/Fire injury
mothbae's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
I might change my rating after I have time to think about and process this book but dang. I was recommended this book from a "weird books for weird girls" list and it ABSOLUTELY lived up to that. The writing style was phenomenal, it reminded me a bit of "Bunny" by Mona Awad, and just like "Bunny" if you are expecting answers to all your questions and everything to be cleared up by the end, you will be disappointed. I feel like I was left with even more unanswered questions with Brutes, which isn't always a bad thing, it's definitely going to keep me thinking about this book for a long time trying to decipher which part of this book were literal and what parts were metaphors. This book is definitely won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it was for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
sajones1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault
tararaewesterlund's review against another edition
3.75
the virgin suicides but if it was written by a woman. bunny but darker. unsettling and sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
pmj_pdf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- 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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
judyegallagher's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
kristallin's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual assault
bitterlemons's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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? It's complicated
3.0
I rarely bother reviewing, but felt the need to document my thoughts on this particular book.
It was difficult.
Not without reward, though. Some of the prose was particularly beautiful, and I found myself noting down lots of evocative sentences, as Tate seems skilled in capturing very specific feelings of girlhood and summer in poetic, and often unsettling turns of phrase.
I just really struggled with the overall structure of the book. I can't say I usually need much of a plot to enjoy a book, but I do at least need some sort of development, whether that be internal or external. This book just seemed to be a vague series of vignettes and lyrical sentiments strung loosely together into a confusing collection of events. I couldn't even really tell you what happened beyond the initial blurb.
Perhaps the author was trying to evoke the confusion of existing as a young girl in a world of adults that refuse to let you in on the reality of things. But as a reader, this meant I struggled finding the momentum to carry on, taking over a year to finish.
I think I enjoyed the idea of this book a lot more than the reality of it. Perhaps if it had been cut down, even just to the chapters from the girls' points of view, it might have worked better, for me at least.
Still, I think it shows promise, so I wouldn't be adverse to checking out any future books Dizz Tate releases, but perhaps with less expectations, as Brutes initially looked to check all the boxes for what I want from a book (yes I judge a book by its cover, and yes, that doesn't always work so well...).
It was difficult.
Not without reward, though. Some of the prose was particularly beautiful, and I found myself noting down lots of evocative sentences, as Tate seems skilled in capturing very specific feelings of girlhood and summer in poetic, and often unsettling turns of phrase.
I just really struggled with the overall structure of the book. I can't say I usually need much of a plot to enjoy a book, but I do at least need some sort of development, whether that be internal or external. This book just seemed to be a vague series of vignettes and lyrical sentiments strung loosely together into a confusing collection of events. I couldn't even really tell you what happened beyond the initial blurb.
Perhaps the author was trying to evoke the confusion of existing as a young girl in a world of adults that refuse to let you in on the reality of things. But as a reader, this meant I struggled finding the momentum to carry on, taking over a year to finish.
I think I enjoyed the idea of this book a lot more than the reality of it. Perhaps if it had been cut down, even just to the chapters from the girls' points of view, it might have worked better, for me at least.
Still, I think it shows promise, so I wouldn't be adverse to checking out any future books Dizz Tate releases, but perhaps with less expectations, as Brutes initially looked to check all the boxes for what I want from a book (yes I judge a book by its cover, and yes, that doesn't always work so well...).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault