Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

3 reviews

pageafter_paige's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

This was a super quick read that kept me on my toes! I loved how the chapters jumped between diary entries from childhood, present time, and the week leading up to her coma. Even though the title is called Sometimes I Lie I was still fooled a few times hahaha but overall I felt the ending was predictable once a certain big secret was revealed. I do love Alice’s writing and I find it super engaging. I’m not a huge fan of how it all ended in the last chapter but overall I enjoyed the story! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Classism, Cursing, Miscarriage, Murder, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence

alexisgarcia's review

dark mysterious tense slow-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

please PLEASE check the trigger warnings  before reading!!

i felt like the coma chapters were really slow and dragged for me. the twists were okay but some of them seemed so pointless. some of the twists were unnecessary and awful. it brought the book down so far for me. there was no reason for some of the book content to be in there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Car accident, Child death, Emotional abuse, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Torture

magellen's review

dark mysterious 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

3.0

While the plot is twisty and really takes flight at about 75%, you spend most of the book bludgeoned by the phrase 'let herself go' or some adjacent negative assessment regarding every single woman in the book. Seriously it is exhausting, it rises in most chapters, whether it's a pov talking about herself, or her mother, or a coworker, just an endless loop of hate that doesn't add anything and makes the book feel particularly dated. 

The book is a great example of unreliable narration but is likewise tedious in stretches where the mc walks forward and backwards through her thoughts with zero self trust and yes, toxic relationships do instill distrust in one's self, but it just feels like bloat in the narrative when it doesn't stop. Likewise it breaks your trust in all the narratives, breaks the momentum the book has built and becomes a muddle halfway thru. Intentionally done and layered as it is it mostly works but I feel like I only began enjoying the book in the last quarter and prior to that it was simply 'welcome to untreated paranoia'.

Matters did hit a hat on a hat level as the book progressed. An antagonist born of the antagonist born of the protagonist. Yes Edward is a successful red herring but god what a loose thread that could have not been in the book at all except for sexual violence. While I'm pleased for the mc cleaning up her psycho sister in the end (gotta think with your head and not your fists, well done taylor) the bracelet reemerging had me rolling my eyes. Just close it out, jesus christ.

Every character is unlikable, no one ever has an honest conversation and yes sure Sometimes I lie, but the inconsistency and internalized body judgement gets in the way of it being a truly satisfying read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Car accident, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Rape

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Bullying, Death of parent, and Medical content

Minor: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage