jaxlynleigh's review against another edition
1.0
The description sounds much better than the book actually is. The idea is good, but there were so many rambling, run-on sentences I kept losing track of what was happening and needed to reread some sentences multiple times. The constant flashbacks and present time made the verb tenses very confusing!
alisse's review against another edition
5.0
This book was absolute perfection. I barely put it down (it’s brief and could/should be read all at once). It reminded me of so many other coming of age books, and then WOW it wasn’t like anything I’ve read before. The writing was stellar, and I’ll probably read it again.
ketzie_diaz's review against another edition
2.0
This book had some interesting writing and is a very timely read for me right now but was overall unsatisfying.
shamuwilson2's review against another edition
2.0
This book was completely aimless, scattered, and underdeveloped.
The book is short, but tries to explore a variety of themes and ideas without deeply engaging with any of them. There is death - but the grief that comes with it is not explored. There is abuse - but the ramifications of it long term and short term are not explored. The author doesn’t at ALL show how situations develop and does not at all capture the nuances in the themes she has chosen to pursue. Furthermore, the author jumps between timelines in a way that doesn’t make sense and proves to be rather confusing.
Overall, Walbert tried to touch on too many topics in one short novel, and in this attempt, failed to adequately explore any of them.
The book is short, but tries to explore a variety of themes and ideas without deeply engaging with any of them. There is death - but the grief that comes with it is not explored. There is abuse - but the ramifications of it long term and short term are not explored. The author doesn’t at ALL show how situations develop and does not at all capture the nuances in the themes she has chosen to pursue. Furthermore, the author jumps between timelines in a way that doesn’t make sense and proves to be rather confusing.
Overall, Walbert tried to touch on too many topics in one short novel, and in this attempt, failed to adequately explore any of them.
lynnaeaowens's review against another edition
2.0
I regret reading this book. There's a huge set-up - a deep dark, premise that is intriguing - yet the actual plot is a complete let down.
That being said, I felt like the actual story was true to real life. The author describes several instances of female characters being abused, violated, let down, etc. in many contexts. The result is sort of a "free association" or train-of-thought retelling of the author's experiences being abused by a teacher. This fits with how we often remember stories, connecting what to others may seem to be irrelevant details or side plots and weaving them into the narrative of our life. Unfortunately, though realistic it did not lead to a compelling read. The plot arcs I cared about were neglected and random anecdotes took up too much space in this short novel. Similarly, the main character is sort of a blank slate - I don't feel like I grew to know her at all throughout the story, and she thus becomes a stand in for any woman. A pretty profound commentary on the abuse of women right? Too bad it is executed so dully that any insights are lost.
2/5 Despite moments of profound insight, overall the plot and writing are dull.
That being said, I felt like the actual story was true to real life. The author describes several instances of female characters being abused, violated, let down, etc. in many contexts. The result is sort of a "free association" or train-of-thought retelling of the author's experiences being abused by a teacher. This fits with how we often remember stories, connecting what to others may seem to be irrelevant details or side plots and weaving them into the narrative of our life. Unfortunately, though realistic it did not lead to a compelling read. The plot arcs I cared about were neglected and random anecdotes took up too much space in this short novel. Similarly, the main character is sort of a blank slate - I don't feel like I grew to know her at all throughout the story, and she thus becomes a stand in for any woman. A pretty profound commentary on the abuse of women right? Too bad it is executed so dully that any insights are lost.
2/5 Despite moments of profound insight, overall the plot and writing are dull.
callant's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
btmarino84's review against another edition
5.0
I really really liked this book. Beautifully written and powerful bildungsroman and examination of abuse/trauma. It is, at times, graphic in its depiction of sexual abuse of a minor so go into it with a CW warning. The theme of the narrator taking control of her story and her truth is a very powerful one.
literatihottie's review against another edition
4.0
Short and brutal. Not overly descriptive, but chilling. The form fits the function, with sparse prose that cuts quick and makes you wince. I read this in an hour or so because it was a staff pick from a co-worker.
sbufkin's review against another edition
4.0
This is a short, tight, claustrophobic novel about the narrator’s relationship with a sexually predatory teacher at a boarding school. This is not a story of complicated or fraught affection, as it often seems to be in narratives about teachers and students. This is a novel about a teacher who forces himself on his student and uses his position of power to protect himself. It’s about trauma (several layers of it, as the novel opens with the narrator accidentally killing her best friend in a golf cart accident). It moves quickly, and reading it gave me a pervasive sense of anxiety, but it was about trauma without making me feel overly traumatized, which I appreciated.