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nitroglycerin 's review for:
Gold Rush
by Olivia Petter
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I read a lot of reviews for this early on in my listening experience of Gold Rush that complained it was too slow, underdeveloped and shallow. I think the slowness is a strength of the book though, allowing things to spiral as the book goes on and MC’s mental health is affected by the events.
Starting with the MC, Rose is young and naive. She comes across as pretty realistic as a character. She’s flawed. She isn’t a good friend at some points, but she’s let down in turn. Shes privileged but not alien. She’s human and the author allows us time to get to know her in that way.
The topic is a heavy one - set in 2017 at the beginning of the #metoo movement - sexual assault being the main plot point and emotional domestic abuse being a secondary side plot. The main thing I feel the book is trying to get across is the point that these happen to women of all backgrounds. Rich and poor, influencers and nobodies, and that we can be complicit in it (the hen do), as well as the strength needed to help each other (Rose’s friendship to Clara).
It’s a complicated and messy story, as is real life. We don’t want to accept these things have happened. We try to pretend everything’s fine. We don’t want to be the only one that stands up and says that’s wrong and ruin the fun atmosphere or that next time it will be different.
One review I read lamented that “we don’t see the abuse that’s happened” which made it harder to connect emotionally to the story. I counter that by saying why should we give airtime to the horrible things that happen to women? That is the least interesting part of the tale. What’s important is how we get over what happened. How we bring people who do these things to justice. Hold them accountable. Change the systems that stop this from happening. (No this book doesn’t touch on the politics of misogyny or 🍇 culture, but it does lean on how men with power abuse that to get what they want and then throw the women aside).
There are 2 criticisms I have of the book, I didn’t like the short part where the POV changes to Oliver (Roses colleague), although it did give some insight into his treatment of Rose throughout. And secondly, a criticism of the audiobook narrators Geordie accent. That was awful hun - please don’t do it again. Ever.
Starting with the MC, Rose is young and naive. She comes across as pretty realistic as a character. She’s flawed. She isn’t a good friend at some points, but she’s let down in turn. Shes privileged but not alien. She’s human and the author allows us time to get to know her in that way.
The topic is a heavy one - set in 2017 at the beginning of the #metoo movement - sexual assault being the main plot point and emotional domestic abuse being a secondary side plot. The main thing I feel the book is trying to get across is the point that these happen to women of all backgrounds. Rich and poor, influencers and nobodies, and that we can be complicit in it (the hen do), as well as the strength needed to help each other (Rose’s friendship to Clara).
It’s a complicated and messy story, as is real life. We don’t want to accept these things have happened. We try to pretend everything’s fine. We don’t want to be the only one that stands up and says that’s wrong and ruin the fun atmosphere or that next time it will be different.
One review I read lamented that “we don’t see the abuse that’s happened” which made it harder to connect emotionally to the story. I counter that by saying why should we give airtime to the horrible things that happen to women? That is the least interesting part of the tale. What’s important is how we get over what happened. How we bring people who do these things to justice. Hold them accountable. Change the systems that stop this from happening. (No this book doesn’t touch on the politics of misogyny or 🍇 culture, but it does lean on how men with power abuse that to get what they want and then throw the women aside).
There are 2 criticisms I have of the book, I didn’t like the short part where the POV changes to Oliver (Roses colleague), although it did give some insight into his treatment of Rose throughout. And secondly, a criticism of the audiobook narrators Geordie accent. That was awful hun - please don’t do it again. Ever.