hmm. where to start? I was looking forward to reading this book for the last few months, so while it was on 99p kindle I grabbed it, then proceeded to not read it for months because I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype surrounding it. sad to report this book fell into that category, and I was wildly disappointed and actually left angry? :(

this may be a very long review so I’m going to make a few short points of summary:
- some funny and authentic quotes throughout the book
- little moments of relatability
- zero consent discussion
- zero contraception discussion
- zero sexuality discussion
- zero trauma discussion
- poorly written
- disordered eating joked about, not taken seriously

the main protagonist, Violet, is a naive (sometimes beyond belief) lost millennial in desperate need of something “wild” to add to her life. throughout the book she is inconsistent. she constantly spends money and then complains about her horrible flat; whilst living in the centre of London, doing a well paid, respected job, despite the fact she does whatever she wants at work, leaves early, turns up late etc? she spills food on herself constantly, spits at people and yet everyone in the book desires her.

regardless of Violet, the book is poorly written, the explicit scenes mechanical and robotic. there are weird plot holes where one of the main characters works at a women’s aid yet is best friends with characters that admit to grooming and mentally abusing young women?? besides this, the book deals with trauma in poor fashion. I think this book could’ve been such an opportunity to discuss hedonism and young people and sex, but it ended up being one-dimensional, flat and really quite superficial. sometimes when I was reading it felt like an unedited draft? I know a lot of people seem to love this book, but if I have any advice: avoid at all costs. not only is it badly written, it handles some very serious traumatic experiences and mental health issues in the worst possible way. if you do choose to read this: take the trigger warnings seriously

TW: bulimia, eating disorders, sexual assault, rape, grooming, mental and emotional abuse, death (children)