Reviews

Jaded by Ela Lee

salmonator's review

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Rape

peskydor's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

avnisbiblioteca's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

ayeesharbrts's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

nogglization's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

4.0

sdugal's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

treberry's review against another edition

challenging tense slow-paced

3.5

Jaded is a great and timely story with lots of sensitive topics to discuss. Perfect book club read!

I finished this story and immediately assembled my crew to discuss. My crew? Yes, my daughter (17), her sister (23) and their dad. I also discussed with my lifelong friend. Everyone had a fresh & different POV about the story. 

There were many things I liked and some things that I didn’t. It was very interesting to hear the different perspectives on issues of rape, consent, workplace etiquette, partying safely from different age ranges and genders!

All I will say about this story is that it is a very unique look at rape that I hadn’t seen before. What interested me the most were the initial physical changes in Jade’s body responses before she was even aware that she had been violated.

I had a lot of thoughts and feelings on this one. It is a great think piece to discuss with teens, young people, anyone! Our discussion gave me some more clarity and insight into this new world sexual era, rape, consent, dishonesty and lack of integrity.

meg0207's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

juansnchz's review

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a very powerful narrative that brings forth serious questions about intersectionality.

laurikas's review

emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

 This is a strong debut novel. The writing is fluid and the story grips you, and you end up wanting to know what will happen.
I found it also very current and while that can be a good thing, it can also feel as if you're reading someone's diary. Hence why I wished things were further dramatised and explored, I think this would have enabled the book to remain longer in my memory.