b00kw0rm_ t1_j6gojgn wrote on January 30, 2023 at 4:39 AM

My issue isn’t with the depiction of DV on its own.

My issue is that the book is FREQUENTLY advertised as a romance. And neither relationship is particularly healthy. And for a younger audience in particular, who are gravitating to her books because she’s a popular author and, frankly, her writing style is easy to read, it’s uncomfortable to see THIS book advertised that way. Especially because, to my knowledge, nothing’s been done on her end to discourage it.

pedestrianpinniped t1_j6gx1he wrote on January 30, 2023 at 6:03 AM

Discourage it? She's writing this stuff with one hand on the keyboard if you know what I mean.

GrumpyBearBank t1_j6itcvw wrote on January 30, 2023 at 5:16 PM

There is no reason that a romance relationship needing to be healthy in a novel. If anything, there are narrative reasons for them not being healthy.

It’s not the author’s responsibility to showcase healthy relationships. And frankly they aren’t usually very interesting.

Romance books are basically a form of porn. It’s fantasy. A torrid romance, unrequited love, rebellion, a dashing hero, yadda yadda.

And just like porn, nobody watches it for healthy sex. They watch porn for the visually striking and the taboo. People read romance for the saucy affairs.

I haven’t read this book and I never will. But it failing to showcase healthy relationships is a critique beside the point.