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leah_alexandra's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was pretty rough. It's tough to talk about my reactions without spoilers, so most of my review is hidden.
I had been told there was a big "twist" in the book, but I was honestly pretty disappointed. The first part of the book actually being a fictionalized book a student wrote was not as dramatic a twist as I thought it would be. And I don't know if the author meant for the shooting at the end of "Karen's" part of the book to be a surprise, but it was apparent from miles away. The last, very small piece of the book was vague, and not in a way that made it more intriguing. Just added to some general frustrations with the book. Sarah's story was pretty exhausting--it really leaned into the trope of special teens being somehow more mature than their years. I was less frustrated by that piece once I knew what it was, but the second half of the book didn't do enough to make up for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship
dylanlouise's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Unlike other readers, I LOVED the first section-thought it was such an honest, perfect portrayal of our teenage years and the theatre training experience. Was super into the creative writing choices and the narration changes but the second and third parts didn't hold my attention. Overall, it was hard to follow and there was just so much graphic sexual assault that I didn't want to keep going but it had some redeeming factors so..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gun violence, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Bullying and Pregnancy
gabriellejane's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Grief
knkoch's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a powerful and intense book. It’s sharp and prickly and challenged me- to think harder, more critically, to pick sides and change allegiances. This story doesn’t spell everything out, and I’m sure it will be spinning in my mind for a while to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
This book thoroughly and graphically explores teacher-student sexual relationships.deusbexmachina's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow wow wow wow. I devoured this book and can't stop thinking about it. I won't spoil it (especially because doing so would require so much explanation and summary). But I do think the book is brilliantly constructed. The core themes are trust, believability, and accountability, particularly in regards to sexual assault. As a reader, you know that horrific things have happened to the main characters; they have been mistreated and taken advantage of. But the exact nature of what happened to them is up for debate, called into question again and again throughout the book, so you're forced to interrogate the survivors' accounts, rather than their abusers. It feels ugly, and I think that's Susan Choi's point. Okay, one spoiler: I would say that Martin most definitely does not get off the hook for his actions, even though retribution comes late. But Mr. Kingsley/Mr. Lord? He dies without repercussion. However, their actions deeply impact Karen (who carries so much anger), Claire (who will never know her parents), and Sarah (who needs to distance herself through fiction), and their suffering is largely invisible. I know why this book is polarizing, but I can't wait to talk about it with everyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Death, Drug use, and Homophobia