The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
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.
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
ventenne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
laura (the narrator) annoyed the shit out of me: she was blind, naïve, and a pushover on multiple fronts. i read the first few pages, then skipped to the last page and read the book backwards, section by section (i was reading an ebook). if i hadn’t done this, it would have been too irksome to finish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Death, and Homophobia
gothbaby's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When it comes to dark academia, The World Cannot Give is an excellent example of the obsessive nature of teens who want nothing more than to be a part of something great. Obsession turns to toxicity turns to the spilling of secrets that once kept an entire group of teens at a girl's beck and call.
I was just as obsessed with this book as the characters were, and I found the religious focus quite interesting as it provided a very real guide into Laura's ultimate devotion to Virginia. The author did a superb job keeping the plot almost hidden until about 70% of the way in where I questioned the direction the book was about to go.
I did find the beginning--and most of the dialogue--to be quite repetitive, but upon finishing the book I wonder if it was intentional all along: Virginia's rhetoric had to be repeated over and over until Laura, and the boys, believed in it, too. In a way I believe the reader is a part of Virginia's inner circle, slowly being indoctrinated until the end.
I was pleasantly surprised by The World Cannot Give and wish I could have read about Laura and Virginia's relationship until I began to question my own reliability as a reader.
Thank you Simon & Schuster, Tara Isabella Burton, and NetGalley for allowing me access this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
I was just as obsessed with this book as the characters were, and I found the religious focus quite interesting as it provided a very real guide into Laura's ultimate devotion to Virginia. The author did a superb job keeping the plot almost hidden until about 70% of the way in where I questioned the direction the book was about to go.
I did find the beginning--and most of the dialogue--to be quite repetitive, but upon finishing the book I wonder if it was intentional all along: Virginia's rhetoric had to be repeated over and over until Laura, and the boys, believed in it, too. In a way I believe the reader is a part of Virginia's inner circle, slowly being indoctrinated until the end.
I was pleasantly surprised by The World Cannot Give and wish I could have read about Laura and Virginia's relationship until I began to question my own reliability as a reader.
Thank you Simon & Schuster, Tara Isabella Burton, and NetGalley for allowing me access this advance copy in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Vomit
Moderate: Eating disorder
breeburkitt's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
medium-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
4.0
"The World Cannot Give" is a beautiful, immersive read. It so perfectly captures the infatuation, toxicity and eccentricities of adolescence. It's "The Secret History" meets "Catcher in the Rye" with a little "Looking for Alaska" and "Heathers" thrown in.Â
Author Tara Isabella Burton does a fantastic job at ensnaring the reader in the New England boarding school, St. Dunstan's right along with Laura Stearns. Laura comes to the school in search of a life worth living, following the steps of alumni Sebastian Oliver, who authored her favorite book. She soon finds a spot in the school's church choir and within the snare of its leader, Virginia Strauss. Laura is a passive witness caught in the whiplash of Virginia's descent. It's a captivating story of obsession — from multiple parties — that takes a dark turn about halfway through the book that I never anticipated. The ending itself is unexpectedly dark, and yet so beautifully fitting.
As always, thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.Â
4.25/5
Author Tara Isabella Burton does a fantastic job at ensnaring the reader in the New England boarding school, St. Dunstan's right along with Laura Stearns. Laura comes to the school in search of a life worth living, following the steps of alumni Sebastian Oliver, who authored her favorite book. She soon finds a spot in the school's church choir and within the snare of its leader, Virginia Strauss. Laura is a passive witness caught in the whiplash of Virginia's descent. It's a captivating story of obsession — from multiple parties — that takes a dark turn about halfway through the book that I never anticipated. The ending itself is unexpectedly dark, and yet so beautifully fitting.
As always, thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.Â
4.25/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Death
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Vomit
svmreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Self harm, Alcohol, and Blood
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