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morenowagain's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Violence and Abortion
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Car accident
juicy_juice's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Abortion
Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual violence
Minor: Homophobia
margztgz's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
jcstokes95's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
In this book, Joan Didion makes every sexual interaction with a man feel like rape. In fact, I would argue she makes every single interaction with a man feel like rape. At every turn, agency is taken away from Maria- again and again. Don't move when I have sex with you. Don't see your daughter. Have a forced abortion or I will take your child from you. Talk back to me and I will hit you. Have a life and I will film and exploit it. The only point where she seems to identify a women having agency is when she watches a movie scene where she walks away from the camera after being brutally gang raped. (this in opposition to the film of her life where she believe that girl "had no knack for anything".)
This book is fucking bleak. It's almost amazing how fucking depressing it can be in so short a novel. It took me a while to get on it's wavelength. But by a certain point, it was so revolting I felt like I had to keep going. I do feel a lot of it is very foggy. I think this matches the mood, but as a reader I found it difficult at times to understand what had happened. But when I was confused, I mainly just assumed that I could fill in the blanks by generalizing that everyone's behavior had been pretty malignant in what I'd missed.
I don't know if I would recommend this to anyone. I was interested but I'm not sure how I actually feel about it still.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Abortion
Moderate: Homophobia
annasreads612's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
soradsauce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
melf's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Abortion
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual violence