Scan barcode
artisticpie's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Minor: Homophobia, Sexism, Violence, and Vomit
mbzoller's review against another edition
4.75
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, and Gaslighting
cait808's review against another edition
5.0
you pull this book from the shelf because reading it feels like peeling back a juicy scab. i return it, pride of place, because the familiar itch of my skin knitting back together feels even better.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
Minor: Pedophilia
cheerstochels's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement, Fatphobia, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
its_eel's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Gaslighting
tenderbench's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Vomit
wardenred's review against another edition
5.0
Places are never just places in a piece of writing. If they are, the author has failed. Setting is not inert. It is activated by point of view.
This was a really difficult read for me, mostly because of the subject matter. The other did an excellent job conveying how it feels to be living in an abusive relationship: the visceral lack of safety, the walking on eggshells, the losing touch with what's real about your own self. This is a prime example of why memoirs as a genre fascinate me: I can't imagine how brave a person must be to write about these experiences so candidly.
The narrative isn't quite linear, just like both the recovery from this sort of trauma and the trajectories of getting into this sort of situations are never quite linear. The whole book reads almost as a collection of essays or journal entries, but they do form a complete story of a terrible, awful, no good relationship. There are a lot of metaphors and similes here, and the prose is flowery and lush; in some ways, all of that provides a kind of barrier between what's being described and the reader, but in other ways, it makes the subject matter hit harder.
I don't expect to ever re-read this book, because getting exposed to some things once is perfectly enough, but I believe it will live rent-free in my head for a while. Especially the part about fantasizing about death because you forget just leaving is possible. Or the cockroaches in the clock. Or that poor snail. Or the phone that call that wasn't, after all, a break-up. Or, or, or.
And I've also written out a number of quotes, because damn, the prose here is so unfairly beautiful, with those perfectly placed words, and the rhythm, and the alliterations. I wish I was capable of crafting sentences like that.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
hannahbanana98's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
jazhandz's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Blood, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
lpogo16's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Cursing, Blood, Vomit, and Dementia