Reviews tagging 'Classism'

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

20 reviews

savvylit's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

4.0

"Fans take their heroes and make them a part of their identity and so it becomes unbearable to ever really take in rumours of bad behaviour. We want them to remain perfect in order that we can telegraph or offload certain archetypes on to them: the truth teller, the champion, the maverick, the trickster. If we turn people into symbols and then create a fandom around them, we don’t have to take on those responsibilities ourselves, they become our spokesperson nominated to do this for us so we can carry on living our lives unperturbed."

I'm a Fan is a novel about obsession in two forms: romantic and parasocial. The novel's unnamed narrator is completely obsessed with her lover. Her lover who is also not only married but seeing additional affair partners as well. Her second intense obsession is with one of her lover's other affair partners and is primarily envy/hatred based. She closely follows this woman's life via Instagram, even attempting to be at the same in-person events. Though our narrator is intensely obsessed, she is also deeply self-aware - she knows that her obsession with both people is toxic and destructive. But she just can't stop, she's truly addicted!

This book would be worth a read - even just for the delicious, messy voyeurism. However, I'm a Fan is much more than its central relationships. Patel uses the interactions throughout the story to drop observations or moments of cultural criticism that were incredibly accurate and sent me scrambling for a highlighter. I love a book that entertains and forces me to reflect on modern social dynamics.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Classism

nialystic's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Toxic relationship and Classism

emma_sky's review against another edition

challenging dark informative fast-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Minor: Drug use

marissanbullis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

nniamhh's review against another edition

challenging informative tense medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse

samarakroeger's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

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

4.25

i'm a fan .... of this book even though it took me nearly a year to finish it!  really i read the first half right after i got it last spring and then kinda forgot i hadn't finished it.  oh well.  very messy, very funny, short chapters ... it's great!  features the best chapter titles i've ever seen, too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Classism

bethantg's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Minor: Colonisation and Classism

crawforl's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Moderate: Racism and Classism

chronicacademia's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

lidia7's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

insightful but repetitive.
classism and race discussion were the highlights for me. 
big TWs for infidelity & domestic abuse (physical, emotional, verbal) from the abuser's POV.
while reading about the fucked up relationships the narrator has, i recognized bpd patterns/ tendencies.
overall, i thought i would enjoy it more than i have. too often it felt like a chore to read through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, and Classism