DNF because DNW
Jan. 20th, 2020 02:19 pmContinuing to try to write more about books ...
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor is a cute, funny book about zany time-traveling historians, with an engaging heroine and ensemble cast and clever, fun narrative voice ... that I DNF'd halfway through last night because of a rape attempt on the heroine by a trusted male friend in a particularly squicky scenario. (Followed by even more squick. See below cut.)
In general, I'm not actually that offput by rape as a narrative or backstory device. I mean, it's not my favorite thing, I am totally fine if it's left off the table as an option even in circumstances when it would be likely, but like character death, it's something that (narratively speaking) works for me in some instances and I'm willing to read past in others. It's rarely an automatic DNF. But I guess it does depend on how it goes down, and I think in this case I ran headlong into a wall of NOPE because I really wasn't expecting it, and because the way it went down was both too real-worldish for a light, fun novel about time-traveling historians, and, well, intensely squicky.
( Spoilery details - rape, squick, gore )
If this doesn't sound like that big of a turnoff, I really do recommend the book other than that - I mean, as of about 40% into it. The narrative voice is great, the heroine is great, and the premise is fun. Just ... I DNF'd hard at that point and don't really see myself going back to it.
ETA: About that qualified recommendation ... apparently the book just keeps getting worse. See a spoilery rundown of all the reasons why at![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
musesfool's blog.
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor is a cute, funny book about zany time-traveling historians, with an engaging heroine and ensemble cast and clever, fun narrative voice ... that I DNF'd halfway through last night because of a rape attempt on the heroine by a trusted male friend in a particularly squicky scenario. (Followed by even more squick. See below cut.)
In general, I'm not actually that offput by rape as a narrative or backstory device. I mean, it's not my favorite thing, I am totally fine if it's left off the table as an option even in circumstances when it would be likely, but like character death, it's something that (narratively speaking) works for me in some instances and I'm willing to read past in others. It's rarely an automatic DNF. But I guess it does depend on how it goes down, and I think in this case I ran headlong into a wall of NOPE because I really wasn't expecting it, and because the way it went down was both too real-worldish for a light, fun novel about time-traveling historians, and, well, intensely squicky.
( Spoilery details - rape, squick, gore )
If this doesn't sound like that big of a turnoff, I really do recommend the book other than that - I mean, as of about 40% into it. The narrative voice is great, the heroine is great, and the premise is fun. Just ... I DNF'd hard at that point and don't really see myself going back to it.
ETA: About that qualified recommendation ... apparently the book just keeps getting worse. See a spoilery rundown of all the reasons why at
musesfool's blog.