seawarrior's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Lesbophobia, Confinement, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Excrement, and Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Torture, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse
readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, and Rape
entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Classism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Death, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
hi_im_tate's review against another edition
- 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
Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before.
The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.
The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.
The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got
Graphic: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
paperknotbooks'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Confinement, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual content, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Body horror, Torture, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Self harm, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Blood
Moderate: Excrement, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, and Eating disorder
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This unsettling novel is about motherhood, daughterhood, girlhood, and feminine power. Ojeda crafts beautifully eerie sentences that are evocative to the point of being cinematic. The coven-like group of girls at the story's center is so deliciously unhinged in a way that only teenage girls can be. Their desire for agency and power is the driving factor in the disturbing choices that they make under Annelise's leadership.
All in all, Jawbone is quite the fever dream. I loved Ojeda's evocative style and discussions of female power & relationships. Ultimately, though, the inconsistent timeline interrupted the flow of this story for me. I don't always feel that books need linear timelines but, in this case, I think that Jawbone would have benefited greatly from that feature.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Bullying, Blood, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Torture, Confinement, Chronic illness, Body horror, Violence, and Sexual content
maragtzrbooks'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
4.5
Un grupo de amigas adolescentes encuentran un lugar donde puede jugar, explorar sus límites y experimentar el dolor. Un lugar donde crean historias y cuentan creepy pastas, hasta que una desaparece y sale a luz lo macabro.
La autora con cada capítulo nos lleva a diferentes momentos de la línea del tiempo y con ello a diferentes puntos de vista y tipos de narración.
Una novela única y extraordinaria, con momentos escalofriantes y repulsivos, una historia que confunde, profundiza e incomoda. Explora la crudeza de crecer, de tratar de encontrarse en las sombras, de la maternidad que se ausenta y de la sexualidad que devora.
Sólo al tratar de escribir una reseña me regresaron las ganas de leerlo y de seguir comprando todo lo que Mónica Ojeda ha escrito.
Recuerden leer los trigger warnings antes.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Bullying
cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
If I had to quickly summarize this book I’d say it’s Heathers meets the Craft meets Psycho. It’s about mean girls and toxic friendships and obsession and madness.
This book places queer, female desire at its center as it explores the horrors of adolescence and aging, the thin line between pleasure and pain, and the many dualities of womanhood. It combines angst and madness in a way that cautions (strongly) against uncontrolled desire.
Jawbone is a truly disturbing book. Not just with its imagery (which can be downright gross) but also with the very composition of the prose. With each subordinate clause and parenthetical remark within parenthetical remark, the reader grows more and more uncomfortable and the foreboding and claustrophobic atmosphere intensifies.
This is Ojeda’s first book to be translated into English and all I can say is man, I can’t wait for more.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Kidnapping, Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Excrement, and Sexism
Minor: Animal death
biblioghoul's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Violence, Kidnapping, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Lesbophobia, Blood, Gore, Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, Stalking, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Minor: Religious bigotry and Body shaming
taleofabibliophile's review against another edition
CW: up to where I read
Graphic: Cursing, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Mental illness, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, and Violence
Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, and Terminal illness
Minor: Racism, Pregnancy, Child death, Blood, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt