brianareads'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? No
3.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Sexual content, Blood, Dysphoria, Alcohol, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Drug use, and Cancer
toephia's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Drug abuse, and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident and Vomit
maggielawler's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
Moderate: Eating disorder, Death of parent, Body shaming, and Cancer
gasperyjacques's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Eating disorder and Sexual assault
morethanmylupus's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse
samuriah's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical content, Drug abuse, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Drug use
ukponge's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Graphic: Death of parent and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual assault
torixcat's review against another edition
3.5
"Natural is better than prosthetic. Natural is moral. Natural connotes a certain kind of woman, a peaceful wise-woman, a woman like my mother. This is the logic I've let guilt me, guide me; this is the woman I've been trying to become. I have long considered Aesthetica the last step in returning myself to this better, natural state. Even if I could be natural only artificially; even if I could be natural only in death. But I survived." (pg 193)
took a while for me to get through this book but mostly because rowbottom's critiques on social media and the physical vs the digital self really hit hard and essentially led me to spiral and contemplate my own online persona. however the actual story fell below my expectations (and i don't really know what i was expecting).
Spoiler
i would say that fans who enjoyed "no one is talking about this" would like this book for similar feelings, but also because they have a common plot device of using another character's illness as the contrast whatever is happening in the digital world. i think because of that similarity, i felt like the story wasn't as sharp for me.really would be interested to see what this author writes next!!
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Alcoholism
metaphorsandmisc's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
wichbich'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
3.0
Spoiler
Mom deathThis was an interesting book with an interesting idea. I would say the experience of the narrator is very specific and I don't agree with her a lot of the time. That doesn't make her wrong but her voice is often sort of grandiose as she discusses ideas of universal morals so it does feel a but like being fed a worldview.
Overall this book feels like less of a narrative and more like a reflection on loss, trauma, and image in the midst of an attempt to realign oneself through even more trauma (and some light stalking).
Graphic: Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Drug use
Moderate: Chronic illness, Rape, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Addiction, Medical content, Self harm, Alcoholism, Body horror, Grief, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident and Vomit