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hollifr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Abortion
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Incest, Infertility, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol
oddreads_nicolestins's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
No spoilers here, but it's more than just a coming-of-age story. I loved so many of the characters, but I hurt with them too. I laughed with them and I almost cried.
Highly recommend for all those who are curious and for all my southern allies/country-folk allies, LGBTQIA+, or otherwise.
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Sexism, Antisemitism, Grief, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cancer, Vomit, and Classism
aus10england's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, and Abortion
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and War
kerrence30's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I can understand why this was perceived as shocking at the time of first publishing, not because of the theme of lesbianism, but the tone and word choice is often harsh, blunt and direct. There are some explicit scenes which are not written akin to a modern day romance novel. The main character is rightly unapologetic in how she lives her life, with a hint of aiming to intentionally shock.
Graphic: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Classism
whimsykat'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Racism, Suicide, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism
sib_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, and Gaslighting
Minor: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
marprokup'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? It's complicated
2.5
This book is marvelously progressive and bold for being written in the 1970s. It is fiercely feminist and queer, yet still holds a bubbly nature with its awkward and funny scenarios. I will wholeheartedly give this book credit for its raw, honest descriptions of coming to terms with being queer, and the blunt desire that Molly has to be an independent woman. This book can make you uncomfortable, but with a humbling familiarity to real human experiences. This holds so much weight and I want to give credit to that.
However, there are just some things I can't let slide about this book:
1. Rita Mae Brown's voice bleeds through the main character too often. This book is supposed to be vaguely and indirectly based off of Rita's life, but through a separate character known as Molly. Molly goes through many experiences that mirrors that of Rita's. However, it feels sometimes that Molly's character blends the line too much of being her own, individual character in a novel versus simply being a vessel of Rita's thoughts. This includes some lengthy sections that are heavily narcissistic and self-righteous that can get annoying to read at times. However this is a gradual shift, since Molly seemed to be much more of her own individual character in the first half of the book. As a result, many of the characters introduced in the last half of the novel seem to contribute very little to Molly's character development or the story (*spoiler* pretty much everyone after Calvin just did not leave much of an impression on me).
2. (Trigger warning) Rape and/or character inconsistencies. These two kind of go together, but alas I can only really explain through **spoilers**: In the second to last chapter of the book, Molly berates another film student who did his final film project on a half people/martian gang-rape. Obviously, yes, not good. However, Molly also pressured Polina into having sex with her earlier in the book while intoxicated. Polina tries to mention this, asking why Molly wouldn't have asked before kissing her, but Molly says it wouldn't have done much good because she would have said no (yikes). This may have been an intentional character flaw, however I find that hard to believe based on the way Molly's character was written. She's not particularly meant to be disliked.
3. (Trigger warning) Justifying (consensual) incest. Consent is justified towards the latter half of the book, but there are two separate incest incidents that are nonchalantly justified and accepted. ( ****Spoilers** until the end of this paragraph**): In the beginning of the book, a young Molly and her non-biologically related cousin Leroy decide to try having sex together since they are both confused by their sexuality. Although the early relationship Molly had with Leroy was uncomfortable, it really drove Molly's character development as she tries to figure out her sexuality at a young age. This wasn't where I was set off and decided to bring down my ranking of the book. It was when Molly is with Polina and her daughter Alice that I really was set off and disturbed. Molly and Alice (who is 16) talk about her and her mother having sex together, and how Alice believes her mom is attracted to her. They both address this as fine as long as it's consensual. I could not seem to find any connection or point to bringing up this conversation of incest. It had almost no contribution to Molly's character development, to the plot, or any other themes in the book. It was simply justifying incest just to... justify it. This is such a traumatizing and disagreeable stance that it just made me upset that it was included at all when it served minimal purpose in the book, but take that as you will.
4. Sex with minors. Don't think I need to say much more about this. Minor (no names mentioned) spoiler: a 16 year old is sexualized towards the last half of the book and a 24-year-old has sex with her.
Graphic: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Classism
cate_with_a_c's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
She gets two pages where she’s mostly happy with a girlfriend and that’s it.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Sexual assault and Forced institutionalization
shewantsthediction's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Antisemitism, Abortion, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism and Grief