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Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

4 reviews

blewballoon's review

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Oh man. I just bought this book from my local bookstore, and it's a new release I've been hyped for since I saw it on NetGalley a while back. I was rooting for this one, but I just can't do it. The main character/narrator is impossible to deal with. I don't like any of the other characters either. I can't do 400 pages with these people and this writing. The humor is taking up so much time and is completely failing for me, it's a strange mix of juvenile slapstick and sex jokes? I feel like this would work better as a raunchy comic strip than an actual novel, but it still wouldn't be to my taste.
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marzi's review

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I wanted to love this book but it feels very tonally inconsistent as it bounces between crude humor and serious topics. It evens out in the last 1/3 and then it's at its best. At the beginning I found it difficult to care for the characters, they felt like caricatures more than actual characters. It feels like it was aiming for the sort of humor OFMD is full of, but I don't think it managed it as well. There is also an issue (to me) of playing cruelty for laughs - I'm not sure if I liked it any other book but I definitely didn't in this one. 
That being said, I did finish it and I did truly enjoy it, even if mostly in the last 1/3. I liked the resolution regarding the secret stolen by Azra and the ambassador. It is very satisfying to read about the character with most power put in position of powerlessness (he earned it). 
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bonriki's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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rambling_willow's review against another edition

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adventurous funny lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This has been the most unique book I've read in a while. And while it has been a good change of pace for me, this book will be hit or miss for others. The tone is silly, goofy and slutty. While all characters follow the genre, the tone is mostly set by the main character, Avra Helvaçi. Other than being a self-acclaimed slut that frequently uses the words 'sexy' and 'reeee', he's also good at annoying others. The only reason why he hasn't gotten into serious trouble for his shenanigans is because he's known to be extremely lucky. People who know him call it his witch luck and know that they should not play cards with him.

He's a bit of a cat. He keeps whining when he doesn't get what he wants and he likes to flee on top of furniture. At the beginning of the story, he reunites with his old captain, who is tempted to throw him overboard. And at first, I agreed with them, but as I read on, I found myself wanting to read more and enjoyed the experience of rooting for Avra and his slutty plans.

Avra says that he wants things explained in simple language so he'll understand it, but oddly enough the word use of this work does not match that at all. The words 'incredulous', 'imminent', 'appallingly' and 'nefarious' have been used in just one paragraph. So where this is a silly read, I would not describe it as a simple read, especially for non-native English readers like me.

Lastly, there is this character named Julian. He's a lovely person and a good soul and also described as incredibly good-looking. And where he doesn't make it his personality, others do see it as a defining trait of him and objectify him. In the beginning, he's applauded to be good for improving the scenery and Avra states that he must have him. And where he doesn't seem to be bothered by it and it fits within the vibes of the story, it does seem best to give others a heads up, in case they don't like to read about that sort of thing.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

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