briryder's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
I loved this book. It reminded me a bit of Sweetbitter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexism, Rape, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, and Sexual violence
Minor: Racism
carlyellefsen's review
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Rape
vivi_fan's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.0
This book is so conflicting…like I see the argument the book makes however there are other moments in the book where I just shake my head. . There’s a lot of white feminist issues stated here. Important issues nonetheless…but white. I would be lying if I said I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but it was captivating and made me think about women’s role in the corporate world and how they are perceived in it.
Spoiler
Like the moment she’s complaining about how she has it so hard because her mom pulled some strings for her to get a temp job.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
amergens's review
dark
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- 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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Rape
ukponge's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Eating disorder
eleanormarierose's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
3.0
A little bit disappointed unfortunately as I had high hopes. I thought there was going to be more of a storyline and characters would be developed more. I enjoyed it but thought I was going to be blown away by more.
I always feel bad rating books low when they have been gifted to me but this is just my opinion.
The story is about a woman getting a job in the TV industry and navigating professional life when working with men.
The key themes are sexual assault, misogyny and work relationships.
___
Favourite quotes:
I sleep on my stomach, in the “ready” position. The position you are supposed to take if you are asleep and wake to find an unwanted man on top of you.
I always feel bad rating books low when they have been gifted to me but this is just my opinion.
The story is about a woman getting a job in the TV industry and navigating professional life when working with men.
The key themes are sexual assault, misogyny and work relationships.
___
Favourite quotes:
I sleep on my stomach, in the “ready” position. The position you are supposed to take if you are asleep and wake to find an unwanted man on top of you.
I learned what to do with a man I didn’t want on top of me before I learned what to do with a man I did.
“It’s just, to do well, you have to be willing to make it your whole life.”
“I am,”
This conversation feels like reading a familiar map upside down. Same landmarks, different destination.
He is polite, careful. The bourbon bottle is gone. We go on.
It surprises me, that realization. How far I’ve come, how fully integrated I am into this department, this company where I used to feel lost and foolish and out of step.
“That was the only thing I knew I could do. I was lonely and miserable, and I didn’t know if I would ever find love or have a family, but I never doubted my career. I really believed I could change the world. Or a piece of it, at least.”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual content, Alcohol, Misogyny, and Sexism
aaronm's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Rape
Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Vomit
becca_thegrimreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is a heavy book, detailing the toxic and dark natured world of Hollywood. Working at a network, our unnamed narrator is at war with herself about whether to stand up and argue for change but lose all prospects of job advancement, or to stay quiet and earn a higher ranking position that might allow her to bring change. We see the unspoken expectations put on women through standards of beauty, fitness, grooming, etc. Undergoing all this she compares this to why men are allowed to wear the same outfit every day to work. As the book progresses, the patriarchal structure of the workplace worsens. There are scenes of sexual assault, rape, and harassment included and the ramifications that women face when they come forward.
The other side of the book examines the narrator's relationship with her mother, a high profile lawyer who campaigns for women’s rights and against rape. Her mother is demanding of her time, not allowing the narrator to have time to herself as an adult and admonishes her for not loving her. However, her mother can also be affectionate and loving and pay for anything the narrator needs that she can’t afford. Her mother’s ethics and morality can be questioned very heavily in the book. Her actions do not follow what she has preached during her career. When a close friend is accused of sexual assault, she is going to represent them. Her view on victims’ rights seem to fade when it’s a friend who is accused.
I find that I would have preferred less interaction between the mother and narrator as their arguments tended to all be the same. I think some of the conversations they have are important as it highlights the hypocritical nature of the mother and leaves the narrator questioning her own values. I think what lets this book down is more the execution. The beginning was a brief history of our narrators life, and learning of her immense privilege. It then took a while for the substance to appear in the book, as we got more observational notes from the narrator than plot. I think this is a book that covers a very important and vital topic, it just missed the mark at a few places.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
The other side of the book examines the narrator's relationship with her mother, a high profile lawyer who campaigns for women’s rights and against rape. Her mother is demanding of her time, not allowing the narrator to have time to herself as an adult and admonishes her for not loving her. However, her mother can also be affectionate and loving and pay for anything the narrator needs that she can’t afford. Her mother’s ethics and morality can be questioned very heavily in the book. Her actions do not follow what she has preached during her career. When a close friend is accused of sexual assault, she is going to represent them. Her view on victims’ rights seem to fade when it’s a friend who is accused.
I find that I would have preferred less interaction between the mother and narrator as their arguments tended to all be the same. I think some of the conversations they have are important as it highlights the hypocritical nature of the mother and leaves the narrator questioning her own values. I think what lets this book down is more the execution. The beginning was a brief history of our narrators life, and learning of her immense privilege. It then took a while for the substance to appear in the book, as we got more observational notes from the narrator than plot. I think this is a book that covers a very important and vital topic, it just missed the mark at a few places.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the copy of this book. My review is honest and unbiased.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship
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