Scan barcode
Reviews tagging 'Ableism'
The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System: Ren Zha Fanpai Zijiu Xitong (Novel) Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
1 review
dolly_rocker's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I binged this book in a weekend. It is, by far, the best in the series, since the plot kicks into gear and Shen QingQiu starts to see everything unravel as his choices cause the story to deviate from the original he read.
It's simultaneously hilarious and sad to follow him and Luo BingHe as their relationship moves through stereotypical tropes, including, but not limited to: dream meetings, accidental disrobing, near-death confessions, emotional constipation, miscommunications, faking one’s own death, jilted ex-lovers, and revenge duels. Oh, and that’s not countingwhatever the fuck LBH was doing with SQQ’s corpse.
And through this, it’s hilarious to see SQQ slowly morph into the main love interest, whose fainting spells and kidnappings and such are the same drivers of plots that he railed against in the original novel he read. Yet he continues to insist these people around him are characters who are supposed to fill a pre-defined role instead of real people making real choices.
He also continues to be oblivious to
LBH’s feelings, and even when he does start to get a clue, he leans hard into internalized homophobia and denial. Wild how this man can insist he’s not gay while wondering what it would be like for the female characters to kiss LBH if he were a flesh eating demon (nobody wondered that but you, dude), or insisting that everyone thought he was mourning LBH like a widow instead of a teacher (again, nobody said this but you, bro).
This is a fun, tropey ride that leverages dramatic irony and the unreliable narrator to comment on many of the problematic aspects of both romance and gender roles. Again, this is not a story for people who are unprepared to sit with discomfort and actively question everything the narrator says.
It's simultaneously hilarious and sad to follow him and Luo BingHe as their relationship moves through stereotypical tropes, including, but not limited to: dream meetings, accidental disrobing, near-death confessions, emotional constipation, miscommunications, faking one’s own death, jilted ex-lovers, and revenge duels. Oh, and that’s not counting
And through this, it’s hilarious to see SQQ slowly morph into the main love interest, whose fainting spells and kidnappings and such are the same drivers of plots that he railed against in the original novel he read. Yet he continues to insist these people around him are characters who are supposed to fill a pre-defined role instead of real people making real choices.
He also continues to be oblivious to
LBH’s feelings, and even when he does start to get a clue, he leans hard into internalized homophobia and denial. Wild how this man can insist he’s not gay while wondering what it would be like for the female characters to kiss LBH if he were a flesh eating demon (nobody wondered that but you, dude), or insisting that everyone thought he was mourning LBH like a widow instead of a teacher (again, nobody said this but you, bro).
This is a fun, tropey ride that leverages dramatic irony and the unreliable narrator to comment on many of the problematic aspects of both romance and gender roles. Again, this is not a story for people who are unprepared to sit with discomfort and actively question everything the narrator says.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Ableism, Homophobia, and Misogyny