Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - Briarcliff Prep

Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Briarcliff Prep by Brianna Peppins

15 reviews

djcarter's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I think this was a good book and I really enjoyed reading it. I think there were a lot of lessons to be taught in this story and it was important to discuss domestic violence in teen relationships.

Content Warnings

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I received a copy of this book originally through Net Galley, and finally made time to read it recently.
"Briarcliff Prep" follows 14-year-old Avielle LaBeau as she starts her freshman year at the notorious Briarcliff Preparatory School for Girls, one of only a few historically black boarding schools. Avi has to deal with all the normal, angsty teenage things, and she is just trying to make her first year at Briarcliff memorable. Unfortunately, Avi learns there is something going on between her older sister and her boyfriend, and Avi has to decide what she should do about it.
This book felt very well written and very age appropriate. I also really appreciated that the characters reacted to the situations that arose in a way that felt authentic for their age.

Avi learns that her older sister's boyfriend is abusive, and her sister does not want Avi to tell anyone about the violence. Not only does her sister act in a way that felt authentic, Avi is tormented by what to do. At only 14, this is such a big issue for her to be tackling all on her own. She is conflicted because she knows that this is not okay and her sister needs help, but she does not want her sister to be mad at her. This type of representation is great to see for this age group because it shows the consequences of what Avi does decide to do. Domestic violence is also far too common, and at any age it can feel difficult to navigate, but especially for high schoolers.
Additionally, I felt like the diversity of characters, and having an all-black cast is great for representation. Young black people have to deal with issues that not everyone else has to, and I think it is vitally important for black young adults to see themselves and their issues represented in media.
Avi is a normal teenager, and she is going through her own turmoil at school. She unintentionally gets placed in a math class that is way above her skill level, she wants more than anything to be on the newspaper but seems to be fighting an uphill battle to get on it, and she has a crush on a boy that she does not think her brothers would approve of. All of these small problems added complexity to Avi and her situation and made her feel more real. She is fun, but more than anything she is relatable.

I had a really great time reading this book, and I think it is a great coming of age story for the young adults of today.

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kcharles1924's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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booksatlunch's review

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emotional sad

Not rating this one because I am not the intended audience and while I didn't love it, I think many will and that there are lots of good messages in here. I will be recommending it to my teens at work.

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adrenabereading's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

kiwi_00's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

This book has a special place in my heart alongside Wash Day Diaries and Confessions Of An Alleged Good Girl. I felt seen as the writers of these books showed strong sisterhoods or described things that are universal to being a Black girl/woman. (I would also recommend Odd Girls Out, a webcomic on the Webtoon Naver site/ app for more fiction on sisterhood and teenage girl friendships).
Things I liked

The pacing throughout the book was almost perfect- not too fast but not too slow either.
The description of Briarcliff Prep, Preston Academy and the professors really helped to make me feel absorbed in the book. It made me wonder what it would be like to have HBCUs or a HBBS in the UK.
There were multiple things that Avi was focused on - Her friends,
Quincy
, her sister, her grades and the school newspaper and all the drama that came with it. It helped to flesh out her character and make her seem more real.
The emphasis of sisterhood regardless if it was a blood relation or not. I loved the friendships in the story.
The boarding school setting- Shout out to younger me being obsessed with the Mallory Towers series.

Things I did not like

The ending- Too many things happen behind the scenes and are mentioned in passing when I think that making the book a bit longer would have helped. For example
When Moe blames Avi for not telling anyone about Belle being in an abusive relationship
, I would have liked to see them have an actual conversation about it where he apologises to her. Same issues for
Belle and Nevaeh rekindling their friendship and Quincy and Avi's last conversation which just felt unfinished
.
Moe- I'm aware that he was written like this on purpose as a chance to have critique/commentary on how Black men tapping into patriarchy harms and endangers Black women who often have to protect each other from that and other forms of white supremacy. That being said, I hated the way he kept trying to impose himself as an authority figure in Avi's life especially in situations where she could and should exercise her own autonomy. For example
even though their dad had given Avi permission to date Quincy, Moe kept butting in to tell her that he didn't approve and initially was not going to allow her to date Quincy or telling her that she shouldn't dress the way she does
. The way he acted throughout the book is very indicative of how Black men (and other who agree with Black patriarchy) try to police and remove autonomy from Black girls and women under the guise of protecting them especially from other men but when it is time to stand ten toes down, put his money where his mouth is or to walk the walk, he didn't do any protecting. Alarm bells should have started going off in his head, when Avi kept repeatedly
saying that she did not like Logan
.

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kendal_reads's review against another edition

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emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Content Warnings

martin27's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I will readily admit that I was not necessarily the target audience for this book. That didn’t keep me from seeing myself in Avi and from feeling invited to experience her world. The author has succeeded in created a setting that feels like a second home for both the characters and the audience, and the love, heartbreak, and stresses of teenage life are accurately and honestly depicted.

Plot-wise, it’s very straight forward. Avi goes to school. Avi meets a mean girl. Avi meets a boy. I wouldn’t call this a flaw; it’s not meant to be the most thought-provoking book ever. It’s ultimately about the bond between Avi and her sister Belle, which is by far the most complex and interesting relationship in the book.

Some of the side characters do come off a bit flat. They fall into tropes fairly often (Moe is the over-protective brother, Zazie is the good vibes photographer, Paisli is a nosy preteen using TikTok, etc.), but they aren’t boring. They just all come across as side characters in Avi’s story. Of all the side characters, Rhyon and Quincy seem to be the strongest in my opinion, but Rhyon’s arc is completed quite a bit before the book ends, and Quincy’s arc felt very smooth until the very end of the book, where things just cut off. The author introduces a lot of names early in the book that rarely come back (for example, Rhyon’s roommate, who I had completely forgotten about by the book’s end when she is finally mentioned again and I had to try and remember what I was supposed to know about her).

A solid read, especially for teenagers, and it does address several important topics in a way that felt realistic and didn’t romanticize or sugarcoat any of them.

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amberinpieces's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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bookedandbusy's review

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I absolutely loved this book! It showed the reality of dating violence and not only how it affects the person it’s happening to, but also how it affects the ones who love them.

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