Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Le vergini suicide

this book can't possibly be written by a man, it feels like younger me at the ages of 11, 14, 15 and 16 all came together in a room to put in their troubles, thoughts, fears and feelings into a book that was then warped into being told by the most unreliable of narrators- obsessed teenage boys. the language flows in a way nothing I've read ever has and the content to description ratio is so perfect for me it feels like a duvet covering me in a cold winter

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myfff's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I found this incredibly bleak. Obviously the title doesn’t set you up for a happy story but what I found jarring is that the style of narration is so detached, like a scientific review or a court case and the deaths of these girls is not only known (due to the plot) but feels inevitable for them.

It has the energy of an American Classic in the same way Gatsby does and I can see why so many people love it, however I found it much more interesting once I had read some analyses of it after finishing it - so if you’re looking for something with themes and a need for analysis this is definitely for you, if you want a story to enjoy maybe not so much.

The most interesting point (after analysing) is to see these boys who say they loved them actually didn’t know them at all and were just infatuated by the idea of these unknown women who live opposite them but are always just out of reach. The style is also a brilliant insight to the complexities of teenage girls, as the adult men who are trying to remember the events through the eyes of themselves as teenage boys, think they understand these teenage girls but realise they never could. Interestingly the author being male also raises the question for me of how well could he understand these girls, and with that in mind they do have a slightly ‘manic pixie dreamgirl’ quality to them.

My highlight of the book was the prom where the reader is able to engage with the girls properly for the first time, not just through the eyes and words of those around them.

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merle98's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a strike of genius that could have been ever so slightly more concise. But what a great critique of the male gaze and suburban society.

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sharanle0808's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ambercunningham's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.75

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zzaranazz's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

overhyped and the definition of manic pixie dream girls; the lisbon girls kill themselves and the boys in the street have no idea how to cope with that. that’s the whole plot of the book. there’s definitely some earnest attempts at character building but they fall flat. this didn’t live up to the hype.

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xx_wench's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.75

harrowingly beautiful. this book will haunt you with its mischievous wonder and boyish charm. it is daunting and depressing and curious. i read it in a day, i could not put it down. i ultimately knew the ending, as it is told to you within the first sentence of the book, and yet, i was shocked to read it.

from the point of view of a conglomerate of boys grown into men, we sit on the sidelines and bear witness to a cul-de-sac tragedy. if you are interested in humorous, bleak, gothic literature, read this!

the negatives i found in this book seem to suit the point of it, which is the fact that we our outsiders looking in, sexualizing these young girls in their distress, romanticizing their downfall, viewing them as depthless objects. we do not know these girls and we never will.

here is the one and only critique i have under a spoiler:

the overall sexualization of these girls is obviously written with purpose by the author, but it is still a little overwhelming at certain points, and icks me out when i think about the book being written by a 33 year old man. the moment where lux goes to the hospital, and makes note of the doctor "falling in love with a 14 year old girl" is where we breach the line of boyish lack-of-empathy and dive into more malicious behavior. this is my only note on the book.

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allipan's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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? It's complicated

4.25

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