Reviews with content warning for Sexual violence - Acts of Desperation

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What started out as a book that seemed like it would investigate the inner turmoil of toxic relationships and the misogynistic views imposed on women from a young age, turned into an unhinged societal stream of consciousness read.

While some may find a certain allure in watching a train wreck, there was no redeeming moment for the protagonist, and nothing left me with even a hint of hope for womanhood. The narrative felt like a continuous stream of trauma, with some scenes so graphic in their depiction of sexual violence that it seemed like a fantasy for the particularly depraved.

I did relate to the protagonist’s inner conflicts surrounding men, body image, and navigating one’s 20s as a woman trying to reconcile societal expectations with a desire to find one’s true self. However, the end of the book left me feeling confused, irritated, and afraid. Is this the journey women must go through to find themselves? Are we defined by our relationships, our willingness to be alone, are we destined to fail in life if we have trauma? I struggled to understand the message the book was trying to convey and almost wanted to forget about it altogether. It almost reminded me of the premise of Bell Hooks’ Communion and new wave feminism.

It felt like reading a bad omen. This book is like Normal People, but with both protagonists being insufferable, having extreme unresolved trauma, and breaking up in a horrifically violent and crude manner. This was not the read I was expecting or wanting. Maybe that’s the message?

Content Warnings

kealki's review

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dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

chloeyasheckie's review against another edition

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dark reflective tense 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

4.0

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flamingostrikes's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-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

3.0

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vivectelvanni's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

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

3.0

The people in this book are absolute pieces of shit.

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sgs's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced

4.0

If someone else had written this story/plot, my rating probably would have been lower, but the writing bumped the whole novel up at least a star. I used a highlighter all over this book.

Unfortunately, a very reflective and realistic novel for women, and I (disturbingly) felt I saw a friend’s relationship in it.

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katelandd's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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gabriellegoldenhour's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad 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

2.75

I recently found out that a new favorite genre of mine is “delulu females”, I thought this would be another but really it just gave me haunting reflections of my past. Not everything was the same, obviously, but feelings and scenarios of my youth in similar situations mirrored this unnamed narrator. I feel like when I started really liking the book it fell off and just stayed flat for me.

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