A review by jessiek04
Althea & Oliver by Cristina Moracho
1.0
CW: Sexual assault
(Note: I am not a teenager, so please consider this review accordingly.)
0 Stars
This is my first DNF. I did not see that coming. I really wish I had read the negative reviews on here first. *Sigh* The thing is I probably would have kept reading if the assault had been dealt with properly. However, according to all the negative reviews, it isn't.
I've read my fair share of stories in which sexual assault happens; I've given bad reviews to some and good reviews to others. I never want to read it, but it can be handled in both sensitive and insensitive ways. The problem with this story is that the rape that happens isn't treated as rape; it isn't even really called rape, although that is most definitely what it is. If the circumstances of the rape were different, as other readers have rightly pointed out, there would be widespread outrage over this book, and it might never have been published in the first place - maybe, although a lot of horrific novels still get published, so who knows? In any case, I can't finish this book knowing that it downplays rape (and what does and does not constitute consent) in this way. At least in the other books I've read that contain scenes of sexual assault, it's treated as the despicable act that it is, unlike in this book. The scene itself is not worse than others; they're all horrifying, but in this instance, it's... well, it's treated with the kid gloves of a rape apologist. I'm sure that sounds harsh, but the way everything unfolds in the novel screams rape apologist (at least in regards to the sexual assault of a certain demographic). It's disgusting. It's always disgusting.
On the more petty side of things, Althea is kind of the worst, the whole way through, not that I liked Oliver any better really. I don't know. I kind of just didn't like any of the characters. The teenagers in this book are precisely the sort of teenagers I couldn't stand in high school. This novel just ticked all of my nope buttons. I'm sure I could say more, but I'm tired and just don't care to do so.
(Note: I am not a teenager, so please consider this review accordingly.)
0 Stars
This is my first DNF. I did not see that coming. I really wish I had read the negative reviews on here first. *Sigh* The thing is I probably would have kept reading if the assault had been dealt with properly. However, according to all the negative reviews, it isn't.
I've read my fair share of stories in which sexual assault happens; I've given bad reviews to some and good reviews to others. I never want to read it, but it can be handled in both sensitive and insensitive ways. The problem with this story is that the rape that happens isn't treated as rape; it isn't even really called rape, although that is most definitely what it is. If the circumstances of the rape were different, as other readers have rightly pointed out, there would be widespread outrage over this book, and it might never have been published in the first place - maybe, although a lot of horrific novels still get published, so who knows? In any case, I can't finish this book knowing that it downplays rape (and what does and does not constitute consent) in this way. At least in the other books I've read that contain scenes of sexual assault, it's treated as the despicable act that it is, unlike in this book. The scene itself is not worse than others; they're all horrifying, but in this instance, it's... well, it's treated with the kid gloves of a rape apologist. I'm sure that sounds harsh, but the way everything unfolds in the novel screams rape apologist (at least in regards to the sexual assault of a certain demographic). It's disgusting. It's always disgusting.
On the more petty side of things, Althea is kind of the worst, the whole way through, not that I liked Oliver any better really. I don't know. I kind of just didn't like any of the characters. The teenagers in this book are precisely the sort of teenagers I couldn't stand in high school. This novel just ticked all of my nope buttons. I'm sure I could say more, but I'm tired and just don't care to do so.