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charlottemarston's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
3.75
Loved the pov from the boys of the girls but wish we could know what was happening in the house as well and that the boys would have known them more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Grief
httpscl0d4gh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
lfglws's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
"Vince Fusilli held up his lighter as though at a rock concert. It was the best we could do for an eternal flame."
***
The virgin suicides tells a story of 5 girls, alll dying from suicide in a year. The book is written from the perspective of some neighbourhood boys, showing the life of the sisters before their deaths and during their last years. It is a mix of the past with interviews from the same characters, from the future, talking about pictures of their house, their shoes, and a bunch of stuff related to them, foreshadowing what would happen later in the story.
The narrator(s?) tell the atory in a mix of obsession, admiration, stalking, sexual desire and love to the girls. The book shows scene, where the girls are like their muses, only to become simply a desire to touch. A scene especially memorable to this is towards the end, when they call the girls and play each other songs. After the girls play them a few "sadder and sappier" songs and end with "Make it with you" by Bread, instead of realising they celebrate, that the girls love them back.
Overall, the book shows the story of a quite simple live, seemingly only told through neighbourhood goosip, caring about the people, but also not that much. It contains some rather graphic descriptions of their suicides, but in other parts just seems to pan over important details. The book very much seems like no plot just vibes, slowly building up with showing rather important details, but not focusing on them, which gives the book a very interesting writing style and keeps one hanging, always grasping for more.
***
The virgin suicides tells a story of 5 girls, alll dying from suicide in a year. The book is written from the perspective of some neighbourhood boys, showing the life of the sisters before their deaths and during their last years. It is a mix of the past with interviews from the same characters, from the future, talking about pictures of their house, their shoes, and a bunch of stuff related to them, foreshadowing what would happen later in the story.
The narrator(s?) tell the atory in a mix of obsession, admiration, stalking, sexual desire and love to the girls. The book shows scene, where the girls are like their muses, only to become simply a desire to touch. A scene especially memorable to this is towards the end, when they call the girls and play each other songs. After the girls play them a few "sadder and sappier" songs and end with "Make it with you" by Bread, instead of realising they celebrate, that the girls love them back.
Overall, the book shows the story of a quite simple live, seemingly only told through neighbourhood goosip, caring about the people, but also not that much. It contains some rather graphic descriptions of their suicides, but in other parts just seems to pan over important details. The book very much seems like no plot just vibes, slowly building up with showing rather important details, but not focusing on them, which gives the book a very interesting writing style and keeps one hanging, always grasping for more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
clovetra's review against another edition
sad
tense
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? No
1.0
i’ve done it folks. i’ve found the worst fucking book to exist. i think i am an avid Hater of this book.
why did i finish this? it ended up being a hate read. plus i was curious if it would redeem itself (spoiler alert: it didn’t. not even close).
now immediately, away from the actual story. why was this book so fucking racist and ableist and pro-pedophilia. a side character is called “Joe the R[-slur]”. what the fuck. the n-word, HARD R, is used for a description when it could’ve easily been omitted. what the fuck. pedophilia is essentially portrayed as admirable in this story, and most of its pages contain grown men fantasising about girls who died as CHILDREN. why are grown men in-text writing about a minor having sex? why is a grown man as an AUTHOR writing about a minor having sex????? lowkey explicitly???? yes i realise YA is written by adults and sometimes contains sex scenes. but my god it’s like a “flash forward” most of the time. why am i reading about luxx sucking off a guy. hey what the fuck this girl is like 15 years old let’s not. what goes through the authors’ mind where he’s like “mmm i’m gonna write with explicit detail this minor having sex! yeah that’s not odd.” and miss me with that “oh this book came out a long time ago it was a different time.” mf this book came out in fucking 93. you’re telling me racism and pedophilia weren’t a thing in 1993. sure i get the casual ableism (miss me with ur comments im disabled) because it’s still very normalised to this day!!! but you cannot convince me the n-word was needed here. or the 75 different scenes describing how promiscuous lux is. i don’t care.
the actual book was less interesting than paint drying. i thought we’d actually get an interesting story. but no. i read about the horny mc and his friends simping over these girls for 90% of the book, with celia’s suicide tackled decently at the beginning & the rest of the girl’s suicides feeling like an afterthought. you set up a book about how all the girls commit suicide, and have 4/5 of the suicides occur with less than 20% of the book left. are you kidding me. the rest of this book was senseless drivel covering the same exhausting song and dance, where we learn absolutely nothing about the lisbon girls beyond their superficial traits and how fucking horny their classmates are. for fucks sake i couldn’t give two shits about how they were “mesmerised” by the “enigmatic lisbon girls”. hey here’s some quick advice go fuck yourself.
pick a struggle ur book can’t be boring AND ableist, racist, and pedophilic.
i am actually so angry at this book. i am so angry i don’t think i can properly explain how much i fucking hate this book.
i am actually so angry at this book. i am so angry i don’t think i can properly explain how much i fucking hate this book.
what a waste of time. this book has as much depth as my minecraft fanfiction from grade 3. actually no i take that back my fanfiction was better than this. fuck you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, and Stalking
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy
mawn01's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was so INVASIVE. I was immersed but I hated it. Boys of this town touch grass that no Lisbon sister has walked on challenge, level impossible, apparently, because they're FREAKS
But like it was very engrossing. But I didn't care what the guys thought I wanted to know what the girls did. I get that that's the genius of the book but I wanna KNOW
But like it was very engrossing. But I didn't care what the guys thought I wanted to know what the girls did. I get that that's the genius of the book but I wanna KNOW
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Moderate: Addiction and Adult/minor relationship
adavis33's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
nataliaao's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Fiquei surpresa quando comecei a ler e descobri que a narração era masculina. Mas fui surpreendida com a delicadeza dos meninos. Mesmo idealizando as meninas Lisbon, e sendo adolescentes normais, cheios de desejos e vontades, eles não reduzem a Therese, Mary, Lux, Bonnie ou Cecilia. Eles as amam e, mais importante, as respeitam. Por isso, eles as deixam morrer, mesmo que passem a vida toda sentido a sua falta e nunca as entendam.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Suicide
maiaiaia's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
itsreirei's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
The story of a family and it's five daughters written entirely from the perspective of the male gaze. At first it might be enraging that we have to see the story of the girls from the outside and especially from an objectifying male point of view but after having finished, it makes so much sense. The way people look at the girls as some sort of mythical creatures is baffling, considering it's those inspecting every little thing about the sisters who behave ridiculously. The irony of having constantly been observed but never actually seen and understood was also brilliantly done. Reading this book is by no means an enjoyable experience, it's like waiting for the inevitable end with a sense of foreboding: you know it's coming and can't help but watch.
Since the title itself is quite obviously telling of the finale there isn't much to be surprised by and most things are left hanging in the air. We never get a straight answer to why the events played out the way they did yet somehow it fits perfectly, leaving all open to interpretation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
isaarusilor's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt