The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! ๐
madscientistcat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Outing, Child abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Bullying
Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol
emilia777's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
jesus fuck, where do i even start?
this was disastrous and i canโt believe how anyone would be willing or even capable of ignoring the many problems with this book.
letโs start with Roman, oh boy, the lack of character development he had was simply painful to witness, actually, i think he only got worse.
but my biggest problem with his character was the the fact his behavior was excused because of hisย trauma. his character was a tragic case of โthe abused becomes the abuserโ and it causes this inability to completely hate him, it only goes to show he manipulated everyone around him, especially jonah.
jonah, who deserves so much better than the tiny glimpse of love roman would give him. he was desperate to be loved and roman only played into this. for someone who didnโt want to be like his father, heโs doing an awful job, saying things like โno one can hurt him but meโ and โiโll never let anything happen to youโ right after basically assaulting him. heโs creating a facade of safety so jonah feels like he needs him and allows himself to be hurt in return for his โprotectionโ and supposed affection. i donโt think roman is even completely aware that he does this, which is what makes their relationship so extremely toxic,
romanโs mother was described as; desperate for her husband to love her, despite everything, which only leads me to believe roman and jonahโs relationship will end up exactly like theirs.
two broken halfs donโt make a whole, people can rarely โfixโ each other,ย
i donโt doubt these boys felt something akin to love for each other, but itโs the destructive kind and not sustainable. these boys BOTH needed serious therapy and i hope they donโt stay together, at least for the time being.
the one good thing i have to say about this book is the writing, it makes you feel, the pain, the terror, the chemistry.
the fact that it got me pent up enough to write this review is an indication of good writing, it just kinda gets washed out but all the awfulness.
this was disastrous and i canโt believe how anyone would be willing or even capable of ignoring the many problems with this book.
letโs start with Roman, oh boy, the lack of character development he had was simply painful to witness, actually, i think he only got worse.
but my biggest problem with his character was the the fact his behavior was excused because of hisย trauma. his character was a tragic case of โthe abused becomes the abuserโ and it causes this inability to completely hate him, it only goes to show he manipulated everyone around him, especially jonah.
jonah, who deserves so much better than the tiny glimpse of love roman would give him. he was desperate to be loved and roman only played into this. for someone who didnโt want to be like his father, heโs doing an awful job, saying things like โno one can hurt him but meโ and โiโll never let anything happen to youโ right after basically assaulting him. heโs creating a facade of safety so jonah feels like he needs him and allows himself to be hurt in return for his โprotectionโ and supposed affection. i donโt think roman is even completely aware that he does this, which is what makes their relationship so extremely toxic,
romanโs mother was described as; desperate for her husband to love her, despite everything, which only leads me to believe roman and jonahโs relationship will end up exactly like theirs.
two broken halfs donโt make a whole, people can rarely โfixโ each other,ย
i donโt doubt these boys felt something akin to love for each other, but itโs the destructive kind and not sustainable. these boys BOTH needed serious therapy and i hope they donโt stay together, at least for the time being.
the one good thing i have to say about this book is the writing, it makes you feel, the pain, the terror, the chemistry.
the fact that it got me pent up enough to write this review is an indication of good writing, it just kinda gets washed out but all the awfulness.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Outing, Hate crime, Sexual content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Homophobia, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Grief
bugcollector's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
ืืืืืืกื ืืืคืชืืข ืคื ืืื ืฉืืืืืืคืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืขืฉื ืืื, (ืืื ืก ืคืจืฆืืฃ ืืืคืชืข) ืืืชืืืืืื ืฉื ืื ืืืื ืฉืื ืืืืืื ืืชืขืืืืช ืขื ืืกืืก ืืืื, ืืืืื ื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืืืืื ืื.ย
ืงืืืืืชื ืืืชืจ ื"ืืคืืช ืืืืื ืืืืื" ืืืืงืื ืื ืงืืืืชื ืืขืจืืช ืฆื ืฉื ืืืจืืืช ืืชืจ, ืกืงืกืืื, ืืืืืืช ืื ืืืืฉืืืช, ืืืคื ื ืืฆืจืืช, ืืืชืขืืืืช ืืกืืืืช.ย
ืืชื ืืื ืืช ืื ืฉืืืกืืช ืืกืคืจ ืจืืื ืื, ืืกืืฃ ืื ืืืื ืงืืืื ืืืชื (ืืืืืจ, ืืฃ ืืื ืื ืงืืื ืืืชื)ย
ืื ืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื ืืืจื, ืืืื ืืืืชืืช ืฉืื ื ืืืืืืืช
ืืกืืืื ืื ื ืืืืื ืืืืฉืื ืจืง ืืช ืขืฆืื ืขื ืืงืจืืื ืืืืช๐ย
ืงืืืืืชื ืืืชืจ ื"ืืคืืช ืืืืื ืืืืื" ืืืืงืื ืื ืงืืืืชื ืืขืจืืช ืฆื ืฉื ืืืจืืืช ืืชืจ, ืกืงืกืืื, ืืืืืืช ืื ืืืืฉืืืช, ืืืคื ื ืืฆืจืืช, ืืืชืขืืืืช ืืกืืืืช.ย
ืืชื ืืื ืืช ืื ืฉืืืกืืช ืืกืคืจ ืจืืื ืื, ืืกืืฃ ืื ืืืื ืงืืืื ืืืชื (ืืืืืจ, ืืฃ ืืื ืื ืงืืื ืืืชื)ย
ืื ืื ืืืื ืืืื ืืื ืืืจื, ืืืื ืืืืชืืช ืฉืื ื ืืืืืืืช
ืืกืืืื ืื ื ืืืืื ืืืืฉืื ืจืง ืืช ืขืฆืื ืขื ืืงืจืืื ืืืืช๐ย
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, and Child abuse
lady_moon's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rep: gay MCs, gay side character
That was so messed up lmao ๐ญ๐ People are all about "hurt my beloved, I hurt you" or "touch them and I'll kill you"ย but here is "no one but ME can hurt my beloved"
Also, because I can't:
Roman: *a jerk, a bully, anon arrogant prick, insults Jonah in his first day, use his sister for dirty jokes to annoy Jonah, calls him the f-slur, but is just so attractive*
Jonah: I have a feeling I'll fall in love with him
Like, JohNA ๐ญ๐ Pls, what attraction do to you, allo people, I'm getting really concerned here. This was so dub-con but jokes on you, I'm into that shit. Sometimes. I'll close my eyes for some other stuff that happened here because it was messed up as hell but it was also really damn entertaining. And it was exactly what I expected it to be so no surprise here.ย
Bullies to lovers in real life are a hella big no but in fiction they're oddly appealing. Probably because it's a sub-trope to enemies to lovers and that's my favorite trope. But rivals to lovers, another sub-trope of it, just lacks something the other two have. I can't explain it, there's just something that doesn't work the same way here as with the other two. Anyway, strong, very close to toxic, bullies to lovers here, it is what it is.ย
That was so messed up lmao ๐ญ๐ People are all about "hurt my beloved, I hurt you" or "touch them and I'll kill you"ย but here is "no one but ME can hurt my beloved"
Also, because I can't:
Roman: *a jerk, a bully, anon arrogant prick, insults Jonah in his first day, use his sister for dirty jokes to annoy Jonah, calls him the f-slur, but is just so attractive*
Jonah: I have a feeling I'll fall in love with him
Like, JohNA ๐ญ๐ Pls, what attraction do to you, allo people, I'm getting really concerned here. This was so dub-con but jokes on you, I'm into that shit. Sometimes. I'll close my eyes for some other stuff that happened here because it was messed up as hell but it was also really damn entertaining. And it was exactly what I expected it to be so no surprise here.ย
Bullies to lovers in real life are a hella big no but in fiction they're oddly appealing. Probably because it's a sub-trope to enemies to lovers and that's my favorite trope. But rivals to lovers, another sub-trope of it, just lacks something the other two have. I can't explain it, there's just something that doesn't work the same way here as with the other two. Anyway, strong, very close to toxic, bullies to lovers here, it is what it is.ย
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Homophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
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