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josba's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Moderate: Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence
hannah2896's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Alcohol
cath_reads_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
What I greatly disliked throughout the whole thing is how romanticized and swept under the rug Holden’s manipulation of Sky/Hope was. Having violent outbursts and then not explaining them? Ghosting her for weeks only to show up and say “everything’s fine but I can’t tell you why I was gone”? Withholding information about Sky’s past and person from her even when she asks? The part where they both use each other for sex later in the book, so they can escape a traumatic experience for a moment? That’s not love; none of it is love. It’s a trauma bond, and what Holden was doing is manipulative and dishonest, even if he “had Sky’s/Hope’s best interest at heart”.
I understand that this book is trying to make some pretty heavy points about abuse, right versus wrong not being so black-and-white, and breaking harmful/toxic cycles. But in my opinion, having the main characters in a trauma-bonded relationship was not the way to illustrate that.
I do know this book is part of a series that I’ve committed to reading and it’s entirety this year, so I may come back and change my review later if some of this is addressed in further series installments.
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Suicide
esme_sims1's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
blynn343's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
hiraeth_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.25
i honestly don't even want to go into it because it's mostly the usual stuff wrong with her books - problematic display of relationships and mental illnesses, toxic masculinity, token non-straight characters, her trying to be funny but failing, the mc being not like other girls etc. i know it's one of her earlier works but it's honestly scary how she hasn't changed/learned from some things. and can you imagine this being marketed as a young adult novel?? with very triggering sexual content, abuse, suicide etc.?? reading this was a roller coaster of being weirded out, cringing, rolling my eyes and just getting angry. especially the last quarter is just pure trauma porn and i almost dnf'ed it. wtf colleen.
do not recommend. 🙃
Graphic: Body horror and Blood
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol
bridgetebooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Toxic relationship
zoemain's review against another edition
- 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
0.5
So putting aside the fact that Sky and Dean basically hook up while washing
SKY’S DAD’S
blood off of their bodies, because I don’t want to spoil any of the trashy plotline, there’s still a lot to address here.
For starters, the constant slut shaming throughout this novel is so weird! Sky adamantly declares every couple of pages that she is not a slut, lest the reader judge her harshly. The first thing Colleen wants you to know about Sky is that she is not a slut. In the span of first ten pages you’ll find these two quotes:
- “Despite what this may look like, I am not a slut. Unless, of course, the definition of slut is based on the fact that I make out with lots of people, regardless of my lack of attraction to them. In that case, one might have grounds for debate.”
- “This brings me back to the fact that, contrary to popular belief, I am not a slut. I’ve never had sex with any of the boys I’ve made out with, including the currently pouting Grayson.”
- “Shayna/Shayla is everything I wish I were. Tall, voluptuous, and sun-kissed blonde…. maybe I don’t want to be that blonde.”
- “I just swiped my card and I’m almost positive she should be doing something on her end, but she’s too busy planning her wedding with this guy to remember she has a customer.”
- “Peppy, fake girls annoy the hell out of me.”
Also, Dean, the love interest, is a disaster. He’s, for one, a creep. Sky herself agrees. She states as much at the beginning of the book as Dean follows her to her car in the grocery store parking lot:
“There was something so disturbing about the way he looked at me. It was uncomfortable”.
Dean is also alarmingly possessive and violent:
- [After Dean refuses to leave Sky’s room, despite numerous requests for him to leave] “I don’t know if I should scream for help or rip off my clothes.”
- [After noticing Sky is wearing a new bracelet] “‘Where’d you get it?’ he says again, this time a little more demanding. His grip tightens around my wrist and he’s staring at me coldly, expecting an explanation. I pull my wrist away, not liking where this is going.”
- Dean: “‘I ever see him trying to touch you like he does and he’ll be reintroduced to my fist.'”
But apparently Sky is okay with Dean’s aggression, because she partakes in it too:
- “Before [Dean] can leap across the table and beat the shit out of the guy, I do something that shocks even myself. I slap [Dean] as hard as I can across the face. He immediately pulls his hand to his cheek and looks at me, completely taken aback.”
Can I quickly mention that Sky and Dean had no real chemistry? They were so obviously just bonding over trauma.
I could keep quoting things what will make you gape down at your phone like “what the eff?” Or I could elaborate on the harmful stereotypes in this book, or I could attempt to summarise the wacky plot line, but I think you get the idea. Just don’t read this book!
But if you’re going to ignore my negative review, because after all, a lot of people seemed to like this book, at least don’t ignore my content warnings.
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
ecravens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent
charliemarie2202's review against another edition
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Kidnapping