Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

21 reviews

isabookabel's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

It took me a while to get into this book, but the protagonist's narrative and exploration of her thought processes and emotions are so in-depth I ended up being really absorbed and think I will probably read the rest of the series. I think the complexity of emotion she has for her friend and the way the the author explores this means this book will stay with me for a long time - I can't think of another that explores so many nuances in a female friendship, over such a time period and underpins explicitly telling the reader with suggestions of more. Likewise, the internal self reflection was really profound and not something I come across often in books to this level - especially not combined with a good plot. The relationships were all rich in detail and felt very believable. 4.5 stars currently but had a hard time rating this so may return and bump up or down - partly because of all the reasons above I feel it could easily be a 5 star - but I suppose I don't feel like I love it and have enough affection for it to rate it a 5 at this moment. Partly because I spent about a week reading the first quarter of the book and feeling it drag rather, before then reading the rest in about 2 days. This meant though my feeling towards it changed, at this moment I spent much longer feeling frustrated with it than enjoying reading it. I will probably return to this at a later date and see if 4.5 seems fair. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

risemini's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Ableism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, and Racism

lydia_reads's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Minor: Classism, Violence, and Gun violence

filipateodoro's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Gun violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Violence

baruss666's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gun violence and Fatphobia

elisamurillo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Death and Gun violence

issyd23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

BRB reading everything Elena Ferrante has ever written 5⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexism, Violence, Bullying, Gun violence, Grief, Classism, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, and Cursing

becksusername's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I can't wait to get my hands on book two!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Classism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Violence

katrinarose's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This was a really interesting book, the friendship between Lenu and Lila is so complicated. I wanted them to stick together more and it was sad to watch them go on separate paths for reasons out of their control. They are both such interesting characters. The chapters were short and easy to read but I also felt like the book was a bit slow; there was almost no plot so that is a major thing to consider before deciding to read this. I thought about removing another half star for the times where it felt like it dragged, but I think that was almost the purpose. This is a story of their lives, not a typical conflict-driven plot with a climax and conclusion, so it felt wrong to rate it like it was. I think I will continue with the second book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Child abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Body shaming, Classism, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Homophobia

kell_xavi's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

Poverty. School. Friendship. Shoes. Adolescence. Out of such well-known and simple concepts, Ferrante spins an intricate network of emotions, of characters that brings such lustre and clarity to her story. Set mainly in a poor neighbourhood in Naples, the author sets the scene of the novel with gossip about violence on her block, secret love affairs and condemned men, fraught domestic lives. She expands from here, into the alluring friendship between Lila and Lenu (Elena); they take us not outside the claustrophobia of the neighbourhood, but rather, deeply into fear and dominance, imagination, enriching conversation, jealousy and rivalry, and a bond between two people who know each other best.

Ferrante’s story is often quietly dramatic, matter-of-fact in its revelations. Even as the story increases in complexity (as does  the setting, with prosperity in small stores, new cars, dating), Lenu and Lila remain the focus. Told in first person with Lenu as narrator, she explores Lila’s story alongside her own. Their growing up is very much together, the moments that are Lenu’s alone serving to tell us more about her ways of seeing, her experience and perspective—which then she brings to her friends. 

The last chapters of the novel build towards a climax that we anticipate and fear alongside the two young women. Lila is somewhat changed, subdued, her stubbornness and creativity confined within her. Lenu observes, saddened, emboldened to leave and not be made small. Difficult conflicts ebb and flow, rushing hard and fast towards the girls with little warning. And right at the end, Ferrante gives us a sequence so expected and yet starling to the core. And there she leaves us.

The strongest work is this realist novel is emotional. The writing holds so much empathy for the characters, awareness of their needs, that what we feel is so close to their own warmths and chills. Lila, under Lenu’s constant gaze, grows from a harsh, daredevil child into an academic sensation into a hard-working, confident girl into a beauty, and page by page, we grow to understand her. Lenu is a softer, more predictable child, but she gains confidence as well, through hard work studying and taking care of those around her. By fifteen, I loved them both, felt proud of who they were becoming, and looked forward to seeing them through the series to its end.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia and Sexual assault