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A review by bahareads
Asking for It by Louise O'Neill
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
slut … bitch … skank … whore.
Louise O'Neill is going to see me in HELL. I should have known; Asking For It is my second book by O'Neill. I wanted to throw my phone and scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to rage. This book is dark and triggering.
All of the characters are unlikeable. The only one who had a redeeming quality about them was the brother. I do not like MCs that have no likeable qualities about them but when we hit the rape section I changed from no liking for Emma to the deepest depths of pity. Emma is a stereotypical mean girl. She has no true friends. She's shallow. She's insecure. She uses her sexuality for influence, and to be liked. She has a bad relationship with her mother who is a Boy-Mom.
It was very thought-inducing. Asking For It has no resolution. Readers see Emma's life in the toilet, and it does not change. I reflected on what if it was me; how would that affect my life? The phrase at the beginning is rinsed and repeated constantly by Emma. It becomes her internal dialogue. I couldn't stop thinking about her internal monologue. She has no memory of the event, but thanks to FB there are pictures and comments for EVERYONE to see. Legs splayed open. Pink flesh.
Before the rape, I thought about DNF-ing. I was not sure where O'Neill was going. It was 20% of the way in asking myself - "wtf am I reading." It was just Emma's adventures with her friends but reflecting. It sets the scene for what is to come. HOWEVER it was a horrible first 20%, I only got through it because I was listening to an audiobook. I think I didn't find the characters overwhelming because it was an audiobook. Emma is the MC. All the secondary characters are very very side characters. Do not think there will be character development in the book. No character develops into anything else.
Louise O'Neill is going to see me in HELL. I should have known; Asking For It is my second book by O'Neill. I wanted to throw my phone and scream. I wanted to cry. I wanted to rage. This book is dark and triggering.
All of the characters are unlikeable. The only one who had a redeeming quality about them was the brother. I do not like MCs that have no likeable qualities about them but when we hit the rape section I changed from no liking for Emma to the deepest depths of pity. Emma is a stereotypical mean girl. She has no true friends. She's shallow. She's insecure. She uses her sexuality for influence, and to be liked. She has a bad relationship with her mother who is a Boy-Mom.
It was very thought-inducing. Asking For It has no resolution. Readers see Emma's life in the toilet, and it does not change. I reflected on what if it was me; how would that affect my life? The phrase at the beginning is rinsed and repeated constantly by Emma. It becomes her internal dialogue. I couldn't stop thinking about her internal monologue. She has no memory of the event, but thanks to FB there are pictures and comments for EVERYONE to see. Legs splayed open. Pink flesh.
Before the rape, I thought about DNF-ing. I was not sure where O'Neill was going. It was 20% of the way in asking myself - "wtf am I reading." It was just Emma's adventures with her friends but reflecting. It sets the scene for what is to come. HOWEVER it was a horrible first 20%, I only got through it because I was listening to an audiobook. I think I didn't find the characters overwhelming because it was an audiobook. Emma is the MC. All the secondary characters are very very side characters. Do not think there will be character development in the book. No character develops into anything else.