Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Bully by Penelope Douglas

22 reviews

keyro's review against another edition

sad 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

2.0

I know this is an enemies to lovers and I gave it a chance, I just can’t see how anyone would date someone who tortured their lives for years on end for the sake of “jealousy/love”. 

Ppl, more specifically teenagers off themselves BC OF bullying.

putting that aside, I didn’t enjoy KC dating the guy that was bullying her best friend?? no one in the book has any morals…

also giving up her body to someone that was abusing her mentally…mmkay

this story feels like it was written by a lovesick teenager on WP, which I guess could be the point???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Bullying

sandse2's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Taboo subjects, but actually well written and character development is strong. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexism

Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual assault

caroras's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Soo let’s be real here. If this was real life, no way Tate would’ve forgiven Jared, and if she did, I’d consider it Stockholm Syndrome.

But I will admit it, I gobbled up this book like it was my last meal.

I’m a sucker for love-hate tropes. 

I love Penelope’s writing style, and that may be partly why I devoured this book.

Some of the passages in the book were so amazingly written and clever.

Character development in this book is top notch. I loved the way Tate went from someone who could never stand her ground, someone who would run away, and to someone who stood up for herself and fought back. As cringe as it sounds, it was kind of inspiring lol.

I found that the characters were surprisingly lovable, despite all their flaws.

My personal favorite character must be Madoc. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Grief, and Blood

scrambledpegs's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

rosie_valadez's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Sexual harassment, and Grief

Minor: Sexual assault and Misogyny

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

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

2.0

This book is objectively not good, and the romance is quite problematic. That being said, Bully is highly entertaining read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse and Pedophilia

moodreadmoonchild's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

is this book all bad? no. but like… it’s really not good. first and foremost, i really think there should be a trigger warning page or at least be listed at the bottom of the online book description. Also, it’s a high school romance with detailed spice so that in-of-itself was kind of an ick for me and im an avid smut reader. 

so to problems with the actual characters/story. starting off with the petty: there are so many music references that really didn’t age well and just gave such hard cringe. the “not like other girls” vibes are soooo strong. meanwhile the FMC’s bestie is objectively a shitty friend. the redemption arc for both the MMC (and his best friend) are lacking to say the least. the MMC feels so entitled to forgiveness when he gives not even the barest of crumbs to earn it. i mean the bar is in hell and he still couldn’t reach it with a 20 ft ladder. it’s just really. it good. i’ve read books where the MMC straight up tortures the FMC and i still thought his redemption arc was more earned than this. just. i don’t recommend… like at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse

mariekemarit's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

1.5

Just awefull. Why does it have to be so womenhating... when do we stop writing women as hating other women and calling them sluts when they are wearing skirts..

As well as the bulliing as 'flirting' or as a 'sweet' thing. I hated the sentence 'I'm so happy to hear that you're a virgin' when he was the one sleeping with EVERYONE. WHAT ARE THOSE? STANDARDS? AWEFULL...

Hated it. We need to stop normalising toxic relations like this. And the hassesments abd sexual assoults. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

michelleub's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

1.5

This book is the reason why i dont trust booktok, i also never trust anyone who recommends anything by penelope douglas. I get that when you read this book it isn't for the plot, but damn her writing style is really bad, it haves so much wattpad vibes, i dont even know how i finished the book. I also really hate the from bullies to lover type because it definitely isn't the same as enemies to lovers, it just reinstated the belief that when a man isbmean to you it means that they like you,which is why so many woman associate violence with romance. Just plain toxic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault

saoreads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

It's a big cliché and dramatic, which led to a plot story that really is predictable, yet that's on me as I wanted to take a breather from reading high fantasy books to school setting ones. What made a huge impression on me was Tate's monologue. I had to read that twice. That part was both soothing and painful because of the sort of way their friendship ended up. It felt like a last call and a voice indeed to express how she felt from the duration she was made to suffer over trauma dumping and incidents in school from bullying and pranks. It had a lot of messed up scenes to the extreme, but it was fiction for a reason. Anyway, that monologue definitely saved the book for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault