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unhingedreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is a very visceral read, without giving too much away it has an unreliable narrator and many twists and turns.
Irina is the kind of friend that you warn people about, she is manipulative and gaslights those around her. Somewhat similar to a car crash scene that you know you shouldn’t look at, but can’t quite look away from. She has some interesting pastimes including drug and alcohol abuse, which she seems to utilise as a crutch to escape her current reality of the under appreciated artist. Apart from her bar job her main career focus is photographing generic looking men that she scouts on the streets of Newcastle. Her photography specialises on fetish art and the book follows her attempting to revive her career whilst being entirely horrible to anyone in her vicinity.
There’s many reasons I enjoyed this book, it sticks with you. Irina’s perspective will have you want to laugh at her dark wit and recoil at her true desires.
I have had the pleasure of meeting the author Eliza Clark who is a very down to earth person that writes some pretty messed up books. I would look into some of her interviews because I really think it adds to the overall narrative of the book.
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Murder, Body horror, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Bullying, Alcohol, Body shaming, Classism, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
documentno_is's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Drug use, Death, Biphobia, Sexual violence, Blood, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Alcoholism, Vomit, Rape, Violence, Torture, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Alcohol, and Abandonment
jesselopod's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The ending was very abrupt. I like that there is no resolution to knowing what is and isn’t real, but I also felt the story didn’t really reach a conclusion either. With a tweaked ending I think I would have rated it much higher.
I viscerally hated reading much of this, it felt like watching a car crash, but I also didn’t want to stop listening to it. I don’t like horror as a genre, but I’m glad I read it.
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Murder, Rape, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual assault
magicalmegija's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Rape, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Abortion, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Death, and Drug use
sophierea's review
- 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
3.75
Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
its_lavender's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Gore, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Drug use, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Addiction
angela_iseli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Drug use, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Vomit, Eating disorder, Murder, and Sexual assault
kayleejanes's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Gore, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Torture, and Rape
peckreadsbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Drug use, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Rape
laurataylor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Addiction, Body shaming, Cursing, Vomit, Body horror, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Drug use, Fatphobia, Torture, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Classism, Death, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail