Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

16 reviews

disastergen_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

weird without payoff 
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anniesher23's review against another edition

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dark tense 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

3.5

I surprised myself with how much I liked this book at first. The writing was truly amazing in a way that just sucked me right in and built the main character so well. It really fell off for me in the last act though. And just generally, this is not my type of book. 
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kaddictwithapen's review against another edition

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adventurous funny reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

4.5

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murphy87's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

So two boomers have an 'uncoventional' marriage. The husband has severe attachment/mom/dad issues. The wife is an almond mom and has internal misogyny. The wife doesn't want to be portrayed as the wronged wife since she and her husband both engage in affairs but extramarital affairs are the least of this husband's sins. Vladimir who is also wildly problematic and in a way is very similar to her husband. It's very readable but also induced much eye rolling.
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readwithsophsx's review against another edition

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reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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danielleeejames's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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amanda02143's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Incredible writing.  As an academic, so much of the setting and drama felt eerily accurate. Small town life, department and college politics, energetic new faculty vs the old guard, the changing norms and culture and the accompanying complications. The narrator, too, is very relatable in all her neuroses and flaws. Accomplished, beloved by students, and yet insecure about aging and her appearance while simultaneously hating herself for caring about superficial standards. All of which is to say this book had me fully engrossed....up to a point. SPOILER
 
The sharp plot turn beginning with the lunch date with Vladimir and her "plan" defied credibility.  The lack of planning, for someone whose core identity is a researcher, is completely out of character.  I was cringing, though willing to see where things were headed, until the zip ties and padlock. 

From that point, the last third of the book seemed almost like an entirely different book.  The plot is rushed to a resolution and all of the complexity that was pain-stakingly developed is thrown out with the fire. 

Sid and her partner, Vlad and his wife all work things out and everyone just carries on?? Most implausible of all, even dinosaur professors save to the cloud these days.  Too neat and tidy.

 
 
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edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ukponge's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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agiali's review against another edition

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dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

♡ 159/ 108

This was a really stunning debut novel and this is genuinely one of the most well-written books I've ever read. The prose and vocabulary are fitting considering our narrator is an English professor.

Although I found the book to be truly fantastic and entertaining, it was just a solid three-star read! Nothing wrong with that, it was good but is a book that once I close, I probably won't think about unless provoked.
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