Reviews with content warning for Drug use - Acts of Desperation

The ending of the novel was one that left me with mixed feelings. Not because I didn’t enjoy it, but because it’s one I feel like I need to sit in. I finished it last night and I’m still thinking about it and how it commentates on society through a feminist perspective. I would say that the main character’s monologue at the end was a message for the reader rather than one for herself. I was proud of her for finally being able to break that toxic cycles of abuse that she endured all her life, but it wasn’t in a way that made me jump for joy at her freedom. It was liberating in a very mellow sense and I think there should be more awareness on that, on how getting out of toxic/abusive relationships isn’t always a dramatic and happy ending, but rather one that feels like a fresh of breath air, knowing that there’s finally peace that in some ways, you still need to actively fight for. This is the first story I’ve read where the author did a great job in letting the reader inside the mind of someone who is currently suffering through a toxic/abusive relationship and the complicated feelings that come with it. There were times where I actually felt sympathy for her abuser even when I knew he’s the one that committed the ultimate evil. Overall, I would say this novel has a profound take on feminism, the struggles of women and their relationships with men, and the interesting psychology of a person in a toxic/abusive cycle (relationships or with themselves).

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booksofautumn's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

A lot like Adéle by Leila Slimani. I loved it. Definitely will be keeping an eye out for any other books the author publishes

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likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

I fell in love with this book on page one.
This is one of those rare pieces of art that makes you feel as though you are looking into a mirror.
I think the writing in this book was incredible and the relationship dynamic was a fair portrayal of what it’s like to live in this kind of turmoil. Specifically, the first half of this book is hauntingly beautiful.
Unfortunately, the second half of this book fell a little flat for me. I found the dramatic shift in the narrator’s behavior made sense, but came on all at once with little perspective on how she was changing.

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