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cosmicwillow's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
this is such an interesting concept for a book but my god this is executed so poorly. it’s utterly boring and so stupidly unrealistic. also the way this is marketed is ridiculous because this really is not about these girls (with their drag queen ass names lmao) being the centre of a #metoo movement like come the fuck on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
blue_reader's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- 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
2.0
I disliked the two main characters so much. They were spoiled brats and feels too stupid to be explained as 'they are teens'. The relationship is so toxic that it's funny this is a romance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Vomit
katiethepenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Blood, and Murder
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Trouble Girls" is a sapphic YA novel about two best friends who are about to go on a road trip, but after a night of unthinkable violence, they end up on the run from the law.
This book was an extremely quick read with engaging characters and an action packed story. I thought that the chemistry between the two main characters was electrifying and their devotion to each other unlike anything I've seen in YA recently. Even when things were at their worst, I never questioned their love for each other, it's the kind of love that was not only romantic, but familial. You can tell that they aren't going to let each other go without a fight. The way that things unfolded, especially their relationship, was realistic in most aspects, but there were some things that I thought were weird about the journey. However, I can't really explain that without giving away spoilers and I try to keep these spoiler free.
I really thought it was cool and kind of claustrophobic how it felt like I was with these girls the whole time. When they expressed being too hot, or hungry, or thirsty, or dead tired, it felt like I could feel it, too, which is something I don't always experience. I liked how the ending left things open for interpretation, which is also really all I can say about that.
Something that really stressed me out was the lack of chapters. There aren't any chapters, it's just continuous, separated by page breaks. It was still a good and easy read, but I really, really would have preferred chapters. It made my head hurt.
Extra points for the beautiful cover.
This book was an extremely quick read with engaging characters and an action packed story. I thought that the chemistry between the two main characters was electrifying and their devotion to each other unlike anything I've seen in YA recently. Even when things were at their worst, I never questioned their love for each other, it's the kind of love that was not only romantic, but familial. You can tell that they aren't going to let each other go without a fight. The way that things unfolded, especially their relationship, was realistic in most aspects, but there were some things that I thought were weird about the journey. However, I can't really explain that without giving away spoilers and I try to keep these spoiler free.
I really thought it was cool and kind of claustrophobic how it felt like I was with these girls the whole time. When they expressed being too hot, or hungry, or thirsty, or dead tired, it felt like I could feel it, too, which is something I don't always experience. I liked how the ending left things open for interpretation, which is also really all I can say about that.
Something that really stressed me out was the lack of chapters. There aren't any chapters, it's just continuous, separated by page breaks. It was still a good and easy read, but I really, really would have preferred chapters. It made my head hurt.
Extra points for the beautiful cover.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Dementia, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Cancer
ergaich's review against another edition
Too much SA. Characters not intriguing enough. No true plot/character development.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Dementia
queersubtext's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
queerspoons's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
misscatw's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I first heard of this last September on Twitter with the line: "sapphic YA reimagining of “Thelma and Louise”. Just seeing that made me want to read it, being a fan of the film and sapphic stories.
Having finished the book, I found it was a beautifully written story of survival in the wake of incredible circumstances. Both main characters, Trixie Denton and Lux Leesburg, have experienced sexually-based trauma and in the wake of Lux's sexual assault and Trixie stabbing her attacker, the girls are forced to run for their lives. They spend the rest of the book on the run from the law, travelling west away from their hometown and lives in Blue Bottle, West Virginia. Along the way, they find that they have become the face of a #MeToo movement in the fallout of the attack, transformed by the media into these figures when they didn't ask for it.
I did like reading this book, even with its harsh topics as it deals with misogyny, rape/sexual assault, homophobia and abuse. I felt like these topics were handled well, highlighting how widespread misogyny is in the world, how it affects the perception of women in the media and can take a toll on those who experience it. While I did like the way the writing style portrays a particular aesthetic around these girls on the run, there were elements of the writing which I did not like and hindered my enjoyment of the book. It is written as one long text with no chapters, just page breaks, which I do not like - I prefer a good chapter structure. The pacing is off in parts, with it dragging through the middle of the book and only including little points of action. Also, I did not like the ending as it came to an abrupt conclusion and seemed quite open-ended since we don't find out what happens to the girls in the end. Personally, I am not a fan of open-ended conclusions as I like a good, clear ending.
We are told the story through Trixie's POV, getting to really know her character. We see a deep distrust of men - she frequently refers to them as "hogs" or "hog men" - a devotion to her best friend and love Lux, and a girl who cares about the women in her life, especially her mother, who she has to take care of. However, we get all this insight into Trixie's character but little into Lux. We know that she's a keen photographer who loves makeup, little trinkets and taking photos of everything she sees. It feels a little unbalanced with the characterisation here, since we see so much of Trixie and so little of Lux. I would have preferred it if the book was written from both their POVs so we could get an equal insight into their characters and see the events of the book from both their perspectives.
Overall, this was a great read that featured some flawed, messy characters in a situation that were not - and could not be - prepared for. They make some bad decisions along the way, but that is realistic, because they are young (seventeen, both of them) and inexperienced, in a situation beyond their control. They become known as The Trouble Girls, girls fighting back against misogyny and those who represent and perpetuate it (rapists, misogynists).
Having finished the book, I found it was a beautifully written story of survival in the wake of incredible circumstances. Both main characters, Trixie Denton and Lux Leesburg, have experienced sexually-based trauma and in the wake of Lux's sexual assault and Trixie stabbing her attacker, the girls are forced to run for their lives. They spend the rest of the book on the run from the law, travelling west away from their hometown and lives in Blue Bottle, West Virginia. Along the way, they find that they have become the face of a #MeToo movement in the fallout of the attack, transformed by the media into these figures when they didn't ask for it.
I did like reading this book, even with its harsh topics as it deals with misogyny, rape/sexual assault, homophobia and abuse. I felt like these topics were handled well, highlighting how widespread misogyny is in the world, how it affects the perception of women in the media and can take a toll on those who experience it. While I did like the way the writing style portrays a particular aesthetic around these girls on the run, there were elements of the writing which I did not like and hindered my enjoyment of the book. It is written as one long text with no chapters, just page breaks, which I do not like - I prefer a good chapter structure. The pacing is off in parts, with it dragging through the middle of the book and only including little points of action. Also, I did not like the ending as it came to an abrupt conclusion and seemed quite open-ended since we don't find out what happens to the girls in the end. Personally, I am not a fan of open-ended conclusions as I like a good, clear ending.
We are told the story through Trixie's POV, getting to really know her character. We see a deep distrust of men - she frequently refers to them as "hogs" or "hog men" - a devotion to her best friend and love Lux, and a girl who cares about the women in her life, especially her mother, who she has to take care of. However, we get all this insight into Trixie's character but little into Lux. We know that she's a keen photographer who loves makeup, little trinkets and taking photos of everything she sees. It feels a little unbalanced with the characterisation here, since we see so much of Trixie and so little of Lux. I would have preferred it if the book was written from both their POVs so we could get an equal insight into their characters and see the events of the book from both their perspectives.
Overall, this was a great read that featured some flawed, messy characters in a situation that were not - and could not be - prepared for. They make some bad decisions along the way, but that is realistic, because they are young (seventeen, both of them) and inexperienced, in a situation beyond their control. They become known as The Trouble Girls, girls fighting back against misogyny and those who represent and perpetuate it (rapists, misogynists).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
smudge's review against another edition
2.5
tw/cw: alcohol, anxiety, panic attacks, blood, graphic injury, death, depersonalization, dementia, drugs, guilt, homelessness, misogyny, teen pregnancy, racism, white supremacy, sexual assault (on-page), rape (on-page), suicidal thoughts, threats, tobacco use, threats
I rated this book 2.5 stars, I was originally going to dnf this book at 15% but gave it another chance. The beginning of this book was pretty boring and at some points it felt like the plot wasn’t going anywhere. I probably wouldn’t read this book again or recommend it to anyone.
I rated this book 2.5 stars, I was originally going to dnf this book at 15% but gave it another chance. The beginning of this book was pretty boring and at some points it felt like the plot wasn’t going anywhere. I probably wouldn’t read this book again or recommend it to anyone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
librarianlex's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
3.0
Didn't live up to the hype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Dementia and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Rape