Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe

9 reviews

ksilvio's review

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

agathajanemaud1908's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

Definitely did not enjoy this as much as Thorpe’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles. It’s similar to her The Girls from Corona Del Mar in that they are absorbing, wrenching reads, but I always felt somewhat removed from the characters and what was happening to them. Super strange since this book and I believe The Girls are both in first person, while Margo alternates between first and third person.
With The Girls and Margo, I wasn’t a fan of all of the characters’ actions but I came to understand them through the great storytelling and insight into their motives. With this book, I never really understood why Bunny did certain things, but I guess that’s partly because we’re seeing her through Michael’s eyes and he is almost always fascinated by her. If you haven’t read any Rufi Thorpe yet, I wouldn’t recommend this book as the one to start with.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Car accident

elissas_reads's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.25

Highly propulsive and very dark, but also with some funny and endearing moments. The voice and writing style is quite unique and took a few chapters to get used to. It felt a little like stream of consciousness storytelling. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend to every reader, because there are a lot of intense scenes and many content warnings, but I thought it was well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Drug use, Rape, Car accident, and Death of parent

lindsayhotrod's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

balladofbignothing's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Moderate: Eating disorder, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

Minor: Infidelity and Rape

cantfindmybookmark's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, and Toxic friendship

hanconcan's review

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

As devastating as it is beautiful, the kids are most definitely not alright, but they're surviving. Deeply flawed characters who you can't help but root for as they navigate being othered during high school in the California suburbs. I felt incredibly seen by this book, these characters, this narrative. Can't wait to read Rufi Thorpe's other novels.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Vomit

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

cheye13's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"What were you supposed to do with pain but polish it until it became something pointy and pretty?"

This book ruined me, a little bit. In these characters, I saw such visceral glimpses of myself and those I love most – the ways we love, the ways we laugh, the ways we hurt ourselves and each other. This is not a pleasant read, this is not a fun read. But it is so excellently crafted that it blooms into catharsis rather than wilting into misery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Bullying, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Religious bigotry

There is an instance of a traumatic brain injury causing memory problems. There is a lot of reference to prison and the experience of being a prisoner. The rape is conveyed secondhand, through dialogue; it is date rape involving blacking out/lack of memory. It may also be worth noting that Michael lies about his age, so the men he sees aren't aware that he is under legal age.