Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Girls by Emma Cline

37 reviews

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Minor: Blood

athiraandbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment

karalauryns's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was a really interesting take on such a dark topic. i really liked the focus on being drawn in to the group and then realizing that you would have done horrific things for them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual harassment

yoyi_beth's review

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Like a more interesting version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 4⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

kayyyqgilbs's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Murder

geesammy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

 why was this 14yr old girl so lost and making such morally ambiguous choices?  Just to belong and be seen?  She never developed her own sense of self, dignity, decency or even hygiene….the idea that she questioned whether she would have stopped them is laughable …she clearly would not have.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

I think Cline is a really talented writer and has a way with words that you come across only once in a while within books. I had picked up this book going off of some prompt/review saying it was about a lesbian and a cult. While that isn’t wrong, it didn’t quite encapsulate the entirety of the situation either. 
I think personally the book would have profited a lot from Evie being upwards of 17. While it would have taken away a bit of the hopeless lamb, but it wouldn’t have been that much. I think it would have lent to Evie and Suzanne’s relationship and Evie’s character in general.

There wasn’t much going on in their relationship besides Evie pining, not until Suzanne let Evie out of the car and visited her at boarding school, was some texture added. It would have made a more engaging story to have Suzanne a bit more fleshed out and receptive rather than this idealized character Evie was projecting everything onto. And the ‘connection’ she kept talking about in terms of her and Suzanne would have been justified and engaging. 
  Aside from that, all the SA on a 14 year old and this  promiscuity put upon them in literature makes me really uneasy and angry, honestly. I don’t think teenagers are ever that deliberate of sex in the way it’s presented in books like this. While it is shown that Evie is forced into it, it’s played off for the most part by her being like “oh well,” until the Mitch situation. Even that didn’t have enough anger or was presented in a bad light. I’m always aware in books of what writers project onto their characters and of what age because it is a choice, and not inspired off of true events ( entirely here anyway). 
I also found it really redundant that all of this happened over a fucking record deal. I wish it was something else and the bad blood between Russel and Mitch had more weight and tension, especially for the girls. (I read up and see  this is what happened in real life but just copy pasting these events without much of a weight or exploration just feels like a waste and triggering for no reason.) I wish it would have subverted the tale by instead having the girls turn on Russel somehow and kill him instead. That would have made a better story line.

 
I kept reading this book as it had a premise for having the opportunity to explore queerness, girlhood and the patriarchy in depth. However, besides from some insightfully written paragraphs on what it is like to be a girl, it feels rather flat in all the other departments. And it felt rather disappointing to finish this triggering book to get through with all the events just falling flat onto nothing overall and by the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

_eleanorgreen8_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - i read it in 3 days and it had me gripped from the start. Cline's writing is so poetic, beautifully capturing feelings and setting, and always delving deep into every character. i felt it was the perfect mix of concise and intricate. i also found the main character relatable in lots of ways, and felt i could understand all her thoughts and emotions. perhaps i was hoping for more plot twists, as you could see almost everything coming, but maybe that was intentional. overall a really dark but stunning read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Sexual content

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcohol

lexigrce's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

once upon a time in hollywood for depressed girls

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence and Murder