Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

14 reviews

fionamclary's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

3.5

This book is not outstanding and it does kind of explain the Message to you at the end, but it will scratch the itch for a classic, aesthetic tragedy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Child death, Classism, Murder, Alcohol, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Death, Infidelity, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Vomit

mothie_girlie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Blood

emreads0's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I struggled with a rating for this book but I was surprised to love it. The World Cannot Give is a very dark academia story of struggling to fit in both in school and in the world. Think Bunny by Mona Awad but focused on a religious prep school.

My personal struggle with this book was that it has some awkward writing choices and I am not very religious. However, the plot twist and character growth was great! If you love DA, this book is a wonderful and sinister option. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Eating disorder, and Bullying

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Suicide, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Adult/minor relationship

kelsea's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

This is trying very hard to be the Secret History but is nowhere close. Virginia is not compelling and it's hard to see what Laura, who is unbelievably naive and spineless, sees in her. The queer stuff is too enmeshed in religious themes/puritanism to be interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, and Homophobia

gellyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

4.0

I'm really struggling to determine how much I enjoy this book. I found the pacing to be slow, and I found it to almost be allegorical - although I'm unsure what the metaphors are in this allegory. This was an excellent way to view terrible people through a bland lens, and I do appreciate the author making people examine what you consider to be dangerous and what people would see as a form of love and trust. This is an unforgettable book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Classism, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship

monalyisha's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No

3.75

Burton expertly creates atmosphere and tone in this tense novel, set in a co-ed, seaside, Catholic boarding school in New England. There’s desperation, longing, and cruelty in spades. It’s clear how easy it is to be swept up in a cult AND in young love, and how dangerous it is when power is so unequally distributed in each case. I’ll read more by this author; I’m almost more interested in her bio at the back than I am in her narrative! A doctorate in theology? A nonfic text called “Strange Rites”? Yes, please!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

owlribbon's review against another edition

dark sad 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Outing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Lesbophobia and Homophobia

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This dark and lyrical novel by theologian Tara Isabella Burton is told from the perspective of a naive, impressionable girl who, at the start of her junior year, transfers to the coastal boarding school featured in her favorite novel, which is reminiscent of A Separate Peace.  She is captivated by the chapel choir—especially by its hypnotizing leader and soprano, Virginia—and she is overjoyed to fall into favor with the exclusive group.  The singers, who also deify the novel and its alumnus author, are puppeteered by Virginia, whose obsession with gravity and piety leads her down a dangerous and surprising path.  Exploring sexuality, integrity, and idolization, this is a novel about wanting to become something one has read about. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Bullying, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Eating disorder, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Sexual content, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Sexual violence, Death, Child death, Infidelity, and Grief

The content warning for sexual violence is referring to sharing intimate videos without consent.

apiologee's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder and Body shaming

Minor: Suicide, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexism

Revenge porn (the distribution of someone's sex tape without their consent) ends up being a crucial plot point toward the end of the book.

bookishsapphicshay's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, and Death

Moderate: Eating disorder, Bullying, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Fire/Fire injury