issyd23's review
- 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
NB Personally disagreed with 90% of the protagonists’ thoughts & actions + her critiques of feminism, consent & cancel culture in a post me too era - but worth reading.
Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Sexism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Suicide, Stalking, Misogyny, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Racism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship
amanda02143's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Spoiler
The sharp plot turn beginning with the lunch date with Vladimir and her "plan" defied credibility. The lack of planning, for someone whose core identity is a researcher, is completely out of character. I was cringing, though willing to see where things were headed, until the zip ties and padlock.From that point, the last third of the book seemed almost like an entirely different book. The plot is rushed to a resolution and all of the complexity that was pain-stakingly developed is thrown out with the fire.
Sid and her partner, Vlad and his wife all work things out and everyone just carries on?? Most implausible of all, even dinosaur professors save to the cloud these days. Too neat and tidy.
Graphic: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Fatphobia
Will definitely look forward to future work from this author!adamsbookshelf's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Spoiler
The first 2/3 of the novel had almost nothing to do with Vladimir and about the MC dealing with her husbands SA accusations. Our MC is kind of an awful human and keeps insisting that she doesn't stand by his actions but proceeds to stand by his actions?? And don't even get me started on when she drugs Vladimir ties him up, gaslights him into believing he wanted to do BDSM and lying about his wife having an affair. He then decides he wants to sleep with our MC for god knows why and plot twist, she no longer wants to sleep with him. Well until she changes her mind and they have the worst described sex I've ever read in a novel. Then the cabin burns down and she stays with her husband and moves to a new place to recover from her burns. In the last chapter she meets with one of the SA victims and it's the quickest character interaction in the novel and almost feels forced.Overall I did not enjoy the story or the characters and only gave it one star because the cover is hot.
Moderate: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
readwriteknit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Body shaming, Classism, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse
cosycourtney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
jenniferpalmblad's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
What I think Jonas does best, however, is characterization.
The narrator of Vladimir remains nameless throughout this novel. This authorial choice seems like the perfect reflection of what we readers come to know about our narrator: she hates herself and also fears being insignificant and forgotten. She's obsessed with nitpicking her aging physical body and 'controlling' her weight. Beyond that painful-to-read self-abasement, she also harshly judges everyone else. Page after page, the narrator insults her students, colleagues, family members, and even strangers. This constant judgment combined with her many escapist fantasies (usually including Vladimir) all add up to paint a portrait of a deeply insecure, discontent, and bitter woman.
And yet, Jonas has managed to make this unlikeable narrator's story both fascinating and sympathetic. I couldn't put it down.
If you're a fan of novels with unhinged/unlikeable female protagonists, you'll enjoy this book.
Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, and Body shaming
poppyseedromance's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse
deezy'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity
bpezzuti'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
2.75
Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Body shaming, Infidelity, Addiction, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts