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deagaric's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Yikes, I had mixed feelings about this book. The first 2/3rds really made my skin crawl. I completely understand that the characters might be intentionally unlikable, but the comments about 1) building staff being considered as "not people", 2) calling black employees "brother", 3) making multiple comments along the lines off "society is just gunning for white males" (???), and so on and so forth really made this book difficult to get into.
On top of that, Cassie heavily sexualizes her own brothers to the point that I do not understand why those parts were included. She describes how "sun beams off her brother's chest, making him look like a Greek God", and how she leans her head on her other brothers chest in bed while he's only "wearing boxers." What kind of bizarre sibling closeness is this. She even sexualizes a physical, scary fight she had with her younger brother.
As you all know from the abstract, one her brothers has been accused of a brutal rape incident, and is now on trial. Cassie, naturally, does everything she can to help her brothers case. Along the way, she does everything wrong, which drove me mad with frustration. "Do not talk to any media , reporters, or investigators without a lawyer present." Easy enough. Nope, Cassie does a 3 hour private interview on her own in her apartment. "Dress demure for court--" Cassie rips off her sweater and unbuttons her shit in court "because let them look." Then is shocked when her family is angry with her.
All of that being said, Cassie's aggravating personality almost makes sense given her toxic upbringing. She was raised in an adopted family full of infuriating people. Her dad is a millionaire who is blatantly ignorant and makes racist and classist comments, her older brother is jerk with a bad temper and zero ambition, her younger brother has ambition but also has a bad temper and is, most importantly, an accused rapist. So I'll cut Cassie some slack.
Either way, the book picks up by the final third. In Part III, we finally get to the court case itself and all of these flaws are brought to light. Minor character growth happens, resolutions arise, and things wrap up. It actually started having many twists and turns (some of them deeply disturbing) and becomes more of an engaging read. Solid 3/5 for me.
On top of that, Cassie heavily sexualizes her own brothers to the point that I do not understand why those parts were included. She describes how "sun beams off her brother's chest, making him look like a Greek God", and how she leans her head on her other brothers chest in bed while he's only "wearing boxers." What kind of bizarre sibling closeness is this. She even sexualizes a physical, scary fight she had with her younger brother.
As you all know from the abstract, one her brothers has been accused of a brutal rape incident, and is now on trial. Cassie, naturally, does everything she can to help her brothers case. Along the way, she does everything wrong, which drove me mad with frustration. "Do not talk to any media , reporters, or investigators without a lawyer present." Easy enough. Nope, Cassie does a 3 hour private interview on her own in her apartment. "Dress demure for court--" Cassie rips off her sweater and unbuttons her shit in court "because let them look." Then is shocked when her family is angry with her.
All of that being said, Cassie's aggravating personality almost makes sense given her toxic upbringing. She was raised in an adopted family full of infuriating people. Her dad is a millionaire who is blatantly ignorant and makes racist and classist comments, her older brother is jerk with a bad temper and zero ambition, her younger brother has ambition but also has a bad temper and is, most importantly, an accused rapist. So I'll cut Cassie some slack.
Either way, the book picks up by the final third. In Part III, we finally get to the court case itself and all of these flaws are brought to light. Minor character growth happens, resolutions arise, and things wrap up. It actually started having many twists and turns (some of them deeply disturbing) and becomes more of an engaging read. Solid 3/5 for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Incest
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, and Sexual harassment
alexisgarcia's review
challenging
dark
emotional
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? Yes
3.5
i don’t really know how to feel about this. some parts were super introspective and interesting and others were boring and kinda gross. some of the commentary felt like it was supporting the suspected rapist. it didn’t feel unbiased at some points. idk..
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Sexism, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Rape
thatswhatshanread's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.5
*Please look up all content warnings for this novel. There are many and they go very in depth.*
I went into this one not knowing much about it, other than it being a BOTM choice that really intrigued me. I think it’s important to let the story do the talking, rather than personal bias or other people’s reviews. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid that, but I think especially with this book, you need to recognize that the scenes are written very deeply in the POV of the MC, a rich and privileged young woman, though troubled and much more than what appears on the surface.
This book dares you to play devil’s advocate for the worst possible scenario you could face as a woman. A case you would immediately fight against. Unthinkable, especially in today’s society. As a woman. As someone identifying as a woman. A daughter. A sister. A mother. A human being.
A sexual assault case. A rich, handsome, white Princeton-educated young man versus the “obsessive” ex-girlfriend. We all know the story, unfortunately all too well.
Where “When We Were Bright and Beautiful” differs is that it’s told from the POV of the accused’s older sister who believes him to be innocent. What ensues with her life, her secrets, her family’s secrets, and the trial as a whole is unsettling and shocking, but far more than just in the ways you’d expect.
Dysfunctional lives of the rich and (in)famous. This is an incredible family drama that’s centered around privilege, control, and power. It’s a sickly accurate view of high society and rape culture, while in some ways being another stepping stone in the never-ending fight to believe victims.
I went into this one not knowing much about it, other than it being a BOTM choice that really intrigued me. I think it’s important to let the story do the talking, rather than personal bias or other people’s reviews. Sometimes it’s hard to avoid that, but I think especially with this book, you need to recognize that the scenes are written very deeply in the POV of the MC, a rich and privileged young woman, though troubled and much more than what appears on the surface.
This book dares you to play devil’s advocate for the worst possible scenario you could face as a woman. A case you would immediately fight against. Unthinkable, especially in today’s society. As a woman. As someone identifying as a woman. A daughter. A sister. A mother. A human being.
A sexual assault case. A rich, handsome, white Princeton-educated young man versus the “obsessive” ex-girlfriend. We all know the story, unfortunately all too well.
Where “When We Were Bright and Beautiful” differs is that it’s told from the POV of the accused’s older sister who believes him to be innocent. What ensues with her life, her secrets, her family’s secrets, and the trial as a whole is unsettling and shocking, but far more than just in the ways you’d expect.
Dysfunctional lives of the rich and (in)famous. This is an incredible family drama that’s centered around privilege, control, and power. It’s a sickly accurate view of high society and rape culture, while in some ways being another stepping stone in the never-ending fight to believe victims.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Pedophilia, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Eating disorder, Confinement, Car accident, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Sexism, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, and Medical content
Minor: Body shaming, Abandonment, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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? Yes
4.0
Out now! [Thank you Libro.fm for my gifted ALC!]
Rating: 4/5 stars
Cassie Quinn is a normal—albeit rich and privileged—graduate student. But when she receives the news that her younger brother Billy has been arrested for rape, everything she knows about herself, her family, and her life will soon be threatened.
Before I get into the book itself, I need to give a shoutout to the audio, which was truly an extraordinarily production and expertly narrated by Marin Ireland. If you’re going to read this one, I cannot recommend the audio highly enough!
On to the book itself—I was so conflicted about this book the entire time I was reading it, because the story is *very* difficult to read (please see CWs!) but in the end, I was captivated and found myself constantly wanting to read more and know what would happen, which is undeniably the mark of a good book. I don’t think this will be for everyone, but if it sounds appealing to you, I absolutely recommend checking it out. And if you do, please please DM me and let’s discuss.
Recommended, especially if you like: lifestyles of the rich and famous; literary fiction but make it a courtroom drama; complex characters.
CW: Sexual assault/rape; child sexual abuse; adult/minor relationship; sexism/misogyny/victim-blaming; toxic relationship; body shaming/emotional abuse; death of parent.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Cassie Quinn is a normal—albeit rich and privileged—graduate student. But when she receives the news that her younger brother Billy has been arrested for rape, everything she knows about herself, her family, and her life will soon be threatened.
Before I get into the book itself, I need to give a shoutout to the audio, which was truly an extraordinarily production and expertly narrated by Marin Ireland. If you’re going to read this one, I cannot recommend the audio highly enough!
On to the book itself—I was so conflicted about this book the entire time I was reading it, because the story is *very* difficult to read (please see CWs!) but in the end, I was captivated and found myself constantly wanting to read more and know what would happen, which is undeniably the mark of a good book. I don’t think this will be for everyone, but if it sounds appealing to you, I absolutely recommend checking it out. And if you do, please please DM me and let’s discuss.
Recommended, especially if you like: lifestyles of the rich and famous; literary fiction but make it a courtroom drama; complex characters.
CW: Sexual assault/rape; child sexual abuse; adult/minor relationship; sexism/misogyny/victim-blaming; toxic relationship; body shaming/emotional abuse; death of parent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent and Alcoholism
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