Reviews tagging 'Fatphobia'

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue

5 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I tore through this book. My friend from book club described this book as very Dolly Alderton-esque (which is the highest of compliments considering how much I adored Ghosts and Dolly's writing), and it really, really was. O'Donoghue perfectly captures the tumult of being a 21-year-old and the chaos of growing up during the 2008 recession, and, like Dolly, Rachel's moods and depression and general discomfort with herself come through so clearly. This book felt instantly familiar to me in the way it depicted how powerful friendship can feel in your early twenties and how devastating relationships can be, and the plot didn't go anywhere I expected it to, which I always appreciate. There are so few books that really capture the millennial female experience, and I felt warmed by this book throughout.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexism, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

cboyman's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia

shelbygibbs's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

So enjoyed this! I’m in love with Carey as a character and I think everyone is so well written. Each chapter I said id pause there and was forced to keep reading by how good it was…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Abortion

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

4.75

the bridge of "You're On Your Own, Kid" by Taylor Swift, excerpted here for your reading pleasure:

The jokes weren't funny, I took the money
My friends from home don't know what to say
I looked around in a blood-soaked gown
And I saw something they can't take away
'Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned
Everything you lose is a step you take
So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it
You've got no reason to be afraid
[…]
You're on your own, kid
You always have been

i'm not sure if i didn't like the ending or if i just didn't want it to end.

i'm also conflicted on the narrative structure of being told through memory with reflections and commentary peppered in. it obviously allows for deeper, more mature insight, as well as effective foreshadowing, but oftentimes it was along the lines of "i was so stupid then" which like, show don't tell, and we're definitely sufficiently shown. which i don't think is a bad thing! but i know for others it is, and so this setup feels like a concession to the crowd that can't stand, for example, Sally Rooney novels because her twenty-something young women characters are annoying or self-involved or clueless (for example, from a review of Conversations with Friends: "One of the most pretentious and self absorbed gen-z/millenial 'I am a suffering artist who is better than anyone else' main characters. Something about the damaged female writer character that is really trying my patience these days"). i am a strong advocate for allowing women characters to be annoying and self-involved and clueless. that's not to say you have to enjoy reading about them, but i don't like media catered to people who believe otherwise; just count them out of your intended audience. so the narration winds up feeling to me like a lampshading cop-out.

big thought out of the way, yeah i loved this, a truly funny in-depth character study showing significant growth and change. i fell in love with Rachel and James (Devlin; Carey is fine). storygraph was spot-on with this recommendation, thanks babe <3

miscellaneous: i was happy to see Rachel become friends with other women by the end. being surrounded almost exclusively by men for that long cannot be good for one's mental health

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

taylorsevalia's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia and Pregnancy

Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Abortion

Minor: Child abuse