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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Anatomy of a Scandal in Books

Mar 11, 2018

A well-timed book about abuse of power

An Anatomy of a Scandal is a book about privilege and power, a timely novel given the recent spate of high profile sexual harassment cases. In this instance, James is a privileged, charismatic, successful member of Parliment and is accused of raping his mistress in a lift on the grounds of Westminster, while his doting wife Sophie, is torn between believing him and staying with him.

A trial then ensues, in which the accuser, Olivia is forced to face her worst nightmares, all the while fighting against a system in which he is king. Her lawyer Kate on the other hand, knows he is guilty, and we watch her back story unfold.

The book is told from alternating viewpoints with alternating timelines. As more of the past is revealed it is even more clear, that James is hiding more than expected.

An Anatomy of A Scandal exposes sexual assault for being more than just a moment in isolation. It is a culmination of behaviours and attitudes leading up to that moment and involves more than just the victim and the assaulter. An interesting read, and worth a trigger warning.

Kudos (1)

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated You Won't Know Her Name in Books

Feb 17, 2022

You Won't Know Her Name

Shanti Hershenson | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Young Adult (YA)

9

9.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

When I first heard of You Won't Know Her Name by Santi Hershenson, there was just something about the synopsis that was calling to me to read it. The synopsis really sucked me in, and I found myself wanting to know more about The Girl. I ended up loving this book!

You Won't Know Her Name is certainly not for the faint of heart. With heavy themes such as bullying and sexual assault, I knew the plot would be a dark read. However, Hershenson writes like a pro, and the way she incorporates these themes into her story didn't put me off reading. The plot is solid and interesting if a little sad at what The Girl had to go through. I loved that there were no chapters, only poems and that each poem started with a title of what the short poem would be about. Each poem flows well into the next. It really made my heart hurt for all the injustices done to the girl (and her sister). What angered me the most was how the school failed this child. Unfortunately, many schools fail bullied children every day. (I speak from personal experience). I would say that there is a plot twist in this story, but there are no cliff hangers. It's just sad that there are so many people (children and adults alike) that have to go through such horrible bullying.

The characters in You Won't Know Her Name felt very realistic. We are told early on by the author that names aren't important so no names are ever mentioned in this story. We have "The Girl" who I felt so bad for. She didn't deserve any of the hate and the uncaringness she got. I just wanted to protect her so much throughout the story and tell "The Person" (The Girl's bully) to just back off. The Person acted in such a vile way toward The Girl and her sister. It made me wonder about The Person's background though. Was The Person being bullied at home to act out that way in school? I am, by no means, excusing The Person's behavior though.

Trigger warnings for You Won't Know Her Name include sexual assault (not graphic), profanity, talks of suicide, and violence. The author has included trigger warning notices at the start of each poem that could possibly trigger some readers though.

You Won't Know Her Name is a sad but a good read. There is some good to come out of it though. You Won't Know Her Name is a thought provoking read about a subject that, sadly, many children (and adults) have to deal with although they shouldn't.

Overall, You Won't Know Her Name is a well written piece of poetic literature that everyone should read. I would highly suggest that parents read it with their child and discuss it. If you are a librarian, buy this book for your library. It's not a long book either, so even the most hesitant reader could get a lot from it. I would definitely recommend You Won't Know Her Name by Shanti Hershenson to those aged 14+. Trust me, this is a book that needs to be read.

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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Hook in Books

Nov 11, 2019

Hook

Gina L. Maxwell | 2019 | Romance

10

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Characters (1 more)

Action Packed

Heartbreaking & beautiful.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, Murder, Abuse, Angst, Drug Use

As many of you know, I've been waiting anxiously for Hook to come out! I was one of the lucky bloggers that Gina gave a copy to in exchange for an honest review. I read Pan earlier this year and fell completely head over heels for Gina's writing, and I've been shoving Pan down everyone's throats because it is that amazing! Now, full disclosure, I have only read one other M/M romance, so I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that I couldn't wait to fly into Neverland again.

I built Hook up in my head so much that at times I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. Luckily, Hook was everything I wanted and more. This book follows Hook & John's story. The chemistry between them was out of this world. It was fun to see the anger, the angst, and the fire between the two of them. The characters as always were well written and thoroughly entertaining. I laughed, I cried, and I had to put my book down a few times, so I didn't throw my kindle.

The plotline was one of the shining stars of this book. It was action-packed, intense, and extremely engaging. I never wanted to put the book down, yet I enjoyed it so much I never wanted it to end. I loved the undercover aspect of the book, and it makes me want to reread some of my favorite romantic suspense. I was always on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded.

All in all, I LOVED this book. It lived up to the hype that I had in my head, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out. If you enjoy angst-filled bad boys with a heart of gold, this is the book for you. Gina truly knows how to write angst in a way that everyone can enjoy.

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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated You Must Not Miss in Books

Jun 21, 2019

You Must Not Miss

Katrina Leno | Young Adult (YA)

8

7.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Magpie Lewis has been abandoned. Her father left. Then her sister, Eryn, too. Now it's just Magpie and her mom. Who truly isn't really present, as she drowns herself in booze and a haze of alcoholism. Magpie's sister left the same night as Brandon Phipps's party--after which Magpie's longtime friendship with Allison ended, and Magpie was branded a slut and left to be an outcast at school. So she starts writing in a yellow notebook, creating a world called Near. It's Magpie's magical place, where everything is perfect: no cheating father, no drunk mom, no missing sister, and no horrific school experiences. She thinks up Near so clearly, so fully, that she wills it into existence, and Magpie realizes that in Near, she can have it all: even revenge on those who have hurt her.

"There was one month left of her sophomore year of high school, and she had decided, after a mountain of evidence to support it, that the entire world was a joke."

I just love Katrina Leno, and her beautiful writing. You Must Not Miss is no exception: it's a poetic, stark take on high school friendship, rape culture, and the ties that bind us. The story is a clever variation of "One for Sorrow." Magpie is our main character and takes center stage: it's hard not to feel sympathetic for this poor abandoned girl--with no family who cares for her and, for a while, no friends.

"If you give a name to an impossible thing, does it make the impossible thing any less impossible?

But then the story takes a dramatic, dark twist--as Magpie creates Near both in her mind and in reality--and as Magpie's portal to another world takes true shape, we see our character find strength before our very eyes. I won't lie, I'm not sure this book is for everyone. It reminded me in some ways of a Maggie Stiefvater novel. It's true magical realism, and there's a suspension of disbelief to be had, to be sure. But it's a book that I feel like Leno was meant to be write. Her way of eviscerating rape culture, misogyny, and more is so adept, so searing. It is a call to arms to those who are not believed, who are ignored and mocked, who are the ones who see their lives ruined when the attackers run free.

In this way, You Must Not Miss is a strong, complex book tackling a tough topic. It may be difficult for some that this topic is underneath the magical world of Near, but I liked how that was what Magpie needed to deal with all that happened to her. Beware, this book is brutal at times (and yes, there's a trigger warning for rape/sexual assault). But it's beautifully written, too. It's complicated, much like its subject matter and its protagonist, who is still trying to figure herself out, as well. It's a different read, but if you're willing to give it a try, I think you'll be glad you did. 4 stars.

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated That Summer in Books

May 27, 2021

That Summer

Jennifer Weiner | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry

8

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A touching and insightful look into the power of the past

On the surface, Daisy Shoemaker has the perfect life: a doting lawyer husband, a loving daughter, and her own cooking business. But underneath, she's full of doubts. Her husband is distant, her teenage daughter resentful, and her business--just something to keep her "occupied." Daisy's been receiving emails lately, meant for another woman named Diana, Daisy's given name. This Diana, a business consultant, seems glamorous and wealthy. When Diana invites Daisy to lunch, she impulsively says yes. But as the two form a friendship, Daisy starts to wonder if their connection was purely accidental. What exactly does Diana want from Daisy?

"For the last six months, Daisy had been receiving emails that she realized were intended not for her, but for the other Diana."

This is not a light and airy beach read, but a serious book that focuses in on the recent #MeToo topic. Much of the book doesn't even take place on the promised Cape setting. Does that mean it's not worth a read? Not at all. Weiner's constructed a compelling and heartfelt tale, with characters that pull you into the story. It feels a little reminiscent of some other #MeToo stories I've read recently, but I was still glued to the pages, wondering what had happened in Diana's past and how things would turn out for everyone.

There's a bit of a mystery here, but it's not too hard to figure out how everything pieces together. The real focus is the characters. We have Daisy, insecure and struggling in her marriage to Hal, a wealthy and arrogant man more than a decade older than her. It's clear Hal takes Daisy for granted--and that may be letting him off easy. Their daughter, Beatrice, was a favorite of mine: an original teen, with her own unique way of living her life. Beatrice's scenes stood out; she's a character I won't soon easily forget. We also have Daisy's brother, Danny, and his husband Jesse. And then there's the "other" Diana, who worms her way into Daisy's life. Can we trust her? Diana was a memorable character to me as well, along with someone close to her. (I don't want to say much more for spoilers.)

The book is told mainly from Daisy, Diana, and Beatrice's perspectives. It goes back and forth in time. It's a little confusing in the beginning, getting the timeline straight and how all the characters relate. Once I got that down, it was a fast read. Some of it may be a little predictable, but it's in turns sad, heartwarming, and funny. I loved Beatrice, as mentioned, and the dynamic between Daisy and Diana was well-written. Weiner does a good job of exploring how class and privilege relate to sexual assault (a definite trigger warning for rape in this story) and the repercussions of rape across individuals, families, and friends. She focuses, too, on the importance of accepting those you love for who they are, no strings attached.

Overall, I'm quite glad I picked this one up. Despite some of the vague familiarity to other #MeToo books, for the most part, it felt refreshing and interesting. It certainly held my attention and brought to light the important topic of rape and its aftermath. The characters here are well-drawn, and I'll always have a place in my heart for dear Beatrice. 4 stars.

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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Trouble Girls in Books

Jun 3, 2021

Trouble Girls

Julia Lynn Rubin | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+, Young Adult (YA)

5

5.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A queer Thelma & Louise that doesn't live up to its potential

High school best friends Trixie and Lux are headed for a much-needed weekend getaway. Trixie needs to forget about her depressing waitress job, where all the men are "hogs" and her sick mom, and Lux needs to escape her overbearing dad. But a horrific night of violence changes everything and Trixie and Lux find themselves fugitives, running away from their tiny West Virginia town and everything they've ever known. Before they know it, they are wanted by the police, their faces splashed across social media. The girls are scared and horrified--on an unplanned road trip where the only thing they can count on is each other.

The premise of this book sounded amazing -- a queer "Thelma & Louise." Unfortunately, it all fell apart for me. Rather than being a #MeToo rallying cry, this was a depressing and stressful read, featuring two teens who make a bunch of stupid and ill-fated decisions.

I definitely understand the overall idea for TROUBLE GIRLS and even why Trixie and Lux run, afraid that no one will believe their story. But the choices they make along the way--spending their money on junk, not trusting each other, stealing and lying... and everything else. It's maddening. They do not act like two smart girls on the run, but two idiots who do not believe in one another. Trixie's infatuation with Lux clouds everything, and Lux comes across as this adored princess with no real personality of her own.

We're (eventually) told a bit of Trixie's backstory, including why we have to read the word "hog" in what feels like every other darn sentence, but the character development here is severely lacking. Trixie has a sick mom and a dark secret. Lux... likes makeup and her camera? I think this story would have would worked so much more if we knew how and why these two teens ticked. Why, exactly, was Trixie so in love with Lux? How exactly did Lux feel back? There's a weird switch that turns at some point in the book, and it made no sense to me. If you're going to give me a queer story, give me queer characters who truly feel for one another and whose love is based in reality.

Trixie and Lux's story is supposed to have a #MeToo angle to it, and it does, in some ways, but this was not a #MeToo anthem to me. It's two girls running away, trying to figure out maps on the back roads, and making poor decisions as they flee what they've done. While, again, I understand why they run, the story I wanted to read was Trixie and Lux returning to Blue Bottle and fighting along side the Intersectional Feminist Union and the other women they supposedly "rally" with a few misplaced social media posts. It was these women and Judy, Trixie's co-worker back home, whose life I wanted to know about--I would have enjoyed that book much more!

Overall, this book can tug at your heart strings, but also frustrate you to no end. There was much to its overall premise, but most of it did not work for me. 2.5 stars (Trigger warning: sexual assault, rape)

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Dana (24 KP) rated A Madness So Discreet in Books

Mar 23, 2018

I am going to start off with a trigger warning because if you are not comfortable reading books that have to do with insanity, sexual assault, or murder, you should not read this book. As much as I love it, I understand that it is not for everyone, so if you have any of these triggers, please, read at your own risk.

Okay, now to start the review. This book is incredibly dark, mainly because of the issues talked about in the previous paragraph. But in this darkness, there is a lot of hidden strength which is one of the reasons I am giving this book a 4.5 star review.

There will be some spoilers in this paragraph for the plot, so if you want to avoid those, skip to the paragraph that starts with "Now." The main character, Grace Mae, goes through a lot that happen before the book even starts. We, the audience, start off very confused in the middle of an asylum with a female character who does not seem like she is crazy. And that is for a good reason: because she is not. Grace has found herself pregnant without being wed in a time where this is the worst thing a woman can do, so her family ships her off to an asylum full of people who are both "normal" like her and also some people who actually need to be there. The first asylum she is in is a cruel place where she is still under the watchful eye of her father, the man who put her in this situation.

Though she is in a situation that is less than ideal, she is still able to find strength in everything she does. She is quite possibly the strongest character I have read about in a while because she has been through this trauma and is still able to act. She has been stuck in this horrible situation, both at home (in the end) and at both of the asylums, and she is still able to make a difference. I love how much agency Grace has. She knows she has to act because nobody else will. It is much like the horrible situation with her father, she knows she has to be the one to do something to save herself from him. She acts when others stand still because nobody acted on her behalf. This goes with the act of her killing the killer, because nobody else will.

Now, the other characters in the asylum and out are quite interesting as well. The doctor's sister is such a gem. She is so passionate and manipulative, but she actually cares for Grace and her brother, something we do not see much.

Elizabeth is so kind and caring, if a bit cooky, but she is able to understand and help Grace when other people would have only discounted her.

Nell was a very sad character. Knowing why she was in the asylum, even though she wasn't crazy, broke my heart, but she does things on her own terms without thinking about how other people perceive her.

Thornhollow was one of my favorite characters because he treated Grace as an equal. He has little to no empathy and relies on Grace to be that set of eyes for hi. He is aloof, but he knows he need help. He is driven to help others in their plights, we see that with the murdered girls and Grace. But my favorite thing is how much of an equal he sees Grace as. He does not see her as sick, but someone with a gift that can help people. I also love that there is absolutely no romance between him and Grace. It is so refreshing to see a balanced relationship without having them be romantic partners.

The director of the asylum in Ohio was amazing. She just wanted to help the patients do their best to get better. I appreciated it a lot.

Grace's father is a skeevy dirt bag and he got just what he deserved.

Grace is a protector, we see that both in the asylums, on the cases, and when she is worrying about her sister. And this is not a bad thing. At the trial, she braves her horrors to keep her sister safe, which is not something too many people do in books, or real life for that manner. She does not avoid, but attacks problems head on and once she finds something that is not just, she works her hardest to fight against that injustice.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I only took off half a star because there are some issues I have with the ending, but I loved it and it has become one of my favorites.

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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books

Mar 15, 2018

Trigger warning: this book is heavily focused on sexual assault and rape.

This novel is certainly very captivating. I found it difficult to put it down once I had picked it up! I loved the crime and mysterious criminal and I loved the pace of it all. Sometimes, these crime novels can burst with excitement for one second, and then fizzle out until the last few pages, or, completely the opposite of that, be total non-stop action, but feel really over the top and unrealistic. This, on the other hand, had a great mix of action and downtime.

I loved the setting for this, it felt so retro with its mention of floppy disks, pagers, and cassette tapes! This whole book was really well described and brought to life. It felt so real, you completely lost yourselves in the characters worlds. The horror of each murder and plot reveal really grabs you by the throat and give you goosebumps. There’s no escaping the terror in this one.

As for the crime, this one is certainly unique… and gruesome! If you’re like me, and don’t like the thought of surgery or human anatomy, then this will certainly be a struggle to read as it contains many in-depth scenes where we’re walked through what’s happening on the inside of the body. That certainly made it a little hard for me to read because I have this slight fear of our insides and all descriptions of it, but I was too intrigued as to who the killer was, to put it down. While not a particularly twisty turny story, there are plenty of characters in this novel to keep you guessing on who the real killer is.

This always seems to happen to me, but I just can’t seem to get on with female detectives in these kinds of series. Rizzoli wasn’t the worst I have come across, but she still got on my nerves. I’m well aware the message this book was trying to put across was all to do with a “woman in a man’s world”, and I can feel for Rizzoli, it would be hard to be taken seriously in a homicide department in 2001 as a woman… But!!! It was not necessary for her to act as though every single man she encountered was an enemy, needing to be destroyed and put in his place. If she wanted to be taken so seriously as a woman, I’m surprised she couldn’t utter the word “tampon” and described it as being a “disgusting object”. (I have seen this point mentioned by other reviewers and some have said the “fear” of tampons could be a generational thing).

I also wasn’t a fan of the underlying tone this book had, that “all men are capable of evil”. Everyone is capable of evil, why were only men being targeted in this book? Now, I don’t want to sound anti-feminist or something with me saying all this stuff, but I felt the book was a bit radical with some of it’s points about men being raping, murdering bastards. Again, I would like to put my hands up and say I’m really not trying to trivialise or undermine rape “victims” (I prefer the term survivors myself) because I’m close to several, I know how much it fucks them up, but I did feel like this book was a bit heavy hitting towards the male gender as a whole, rather than to the select few scumbags who do that sort of thing (just to rehash this point, I’m not some kind of rape apologist, I just didn’t feel the book needed to be so anti-man).

Another problem I had with this book was sometimes it seemed to have an undermining stance on rape, calling it a woman’s “shameful secret” as though it was their own fault they had been abused in this way. There was also a moment where Rizzoli called herself a “victim of The Surgeon” because she had fucked up part of the investigation, which I thought was completely inappropriate. Comparing a job related incident that was your own fault to being kidnapped and raped is just disgusting. That really got on my nerves. Another thing that grated on me was the overuse of the word “victim” when it came to the rape survivors, but I can imagine that’s more to do with the time this book came out than anything else.

Also!!! (Not a spoiler) There is a disgusting comment on suicide nearer the end of the novel, where Rizzoli calls a man who killed himself a “loser who ate his gun” and “pathetic enough to blow his own brains out”.

Even after having those couple of issues with this novel, I still enjoyed it enough to finish it but I won’t forget the offensiveness of it. I’m going to give myself a break from this series for a month or so, just to really review whether use want to continue with writing I find so problematic. If any of you have gone on to read more of this series, please let me know if it gets any better by not taking digs at traumatised women and mental illness.

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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Anatomy of a Scandal in Books

Mar 11, 2018

Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated You Won't Know Her Name in Books

Feb 17, 2022

Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Hook in Books

Nov 11, 2019

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated You Must Not Miss in Books

Jun 21, 2019

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated That Summer in Books

May 27, 2021

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Trouble Girls in Books

Jun 3, 2021

Dana (24 KP) rated A Madness So Discreet in Books

Mar 23, 2018

Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1) in Books

Mar 15, 2018