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yanaorwhatever's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal death, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
aileron'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
3.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal death and Self harm
Minor: Body shaming and Classism
unhingedreader'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
5.0
This book is a very visceral read, without giving too much away it has an unreliable narrator and many twists and turns.
Irina is the kind of friend that you warn people about, she is manipulative and gaslights those around her. Somewhat similar to a car crash scene that you know you shouldn’t look at, but can’t quite look away from. She has some interesting pastimes including drug and alcohol abuse, which she seems to utilise as a crutch to escape her current reality of the under appreciated artist. Apart from her bar job her main career focus is photographing generic looking men that she scouts on the streets of Newcastle. Her photography specialises on fetish art and the book follows her attempting to revive her career whilst being entirely horrible to anyone in her vicinity.
There’s many reasons I enjoyed this book, it sticks with you. Irina’s perspective will have you want to laugh at her dark wit and recoil at her true desires.
I have had the pleasure of meeting the author Eliza Clark who is a very down to earth person that writes some pretty messed up books. I would look into some of her interviews because I really think it adds to the overall narrative of the book.
Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
houseofjules'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
5.0
It also made me realize that this is what My Year of Rest and Relaxation wants to be and falls drastically short. I have also seen this compared to American Psycho but for girls. And you know what, I liked that story as well (I've only watched it, not read it).
I think this says something bad about me, just not sure what. But I think this is a successful story because of the commentary rather than the behavior displayed by the MC. I mean, girlfriend needs therapy BAD. But her support system failed her from the beginning, starting with her relationship with her mother and the things she goes on to experience in her early years.
This is pretty privilege at play as well, which allows her to get away with lots of things. In fact its the main question she tried to find an answer to. This book feel like running your tongue over a recently extracted tooth. Painful, horrifying even, but hard to stop exploring.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
kates_cupcakes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Self harm
editorgrrl's review against another edition
- 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
An unreliable narrator, she drops names, watches ultra violent films, and wishes she were a stone cold bitch rather than a plumber’s daughter who’s only working part time at a seedy bar so that her mam will continue to pay half her rent.
If you hate unlikable characters, this is not the book for you. I found it darkly humorous, and a little sad.
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Self harm
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Vomit
kibiiiariii'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
4.25
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Acephobia/Arophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Lesbophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
beerxper'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
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
gewrgia_lightwood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Yes I read it fairly quickly but idk what kept me coming back
Irina was one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read. I know that’s the point but maybe I’m not that keen on reading unlikable characters. I was genuine annoyed (but that also works as a compliment for the story).
Lastly her ED never being called out almost made it feel like it was romanticised (along with drugs).
By the halfway point it started to pick up and by the end it was quite interesting this whole distortion of reality ngl. But at the end of the day it’s hard for me to really enjoy books I’m not attached to its characters.
The writing was meh at its best
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Alcohol
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Abortion and Classism
char_a_lot_te'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
4.0
Scalding commentary on the role of art in our society and the current state of the patriarchy. Absolutely repulsive, don't read it unless you're mentally stable.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Minor: Infidelity