Saada pilte

by Lauren McLaughlin, Helen Kalpus (Translator), Laura-Grit Lauri (Editor)

Parimad sõbrannad Suze, Nikki, Ani ja Lydia lubavad teineteist alati pealetükkivate kuttide eest kaitsta. Ootamatult reedab Suze sõlmitud pakti ning hakkab üleöö käima kooli eliitmaadleja ja suurima ahistaja Tarkin Shaw’ga. Ent asjad pole nii nagu need näivad. Suze on langenud väljapressimise ohvriks ning peab õigluse nimel võitlema maailmas, kus ohver on alati süüdi.

„Saada pilte” on silmiavav noorteromaan, mis heidab terava pilgu psühholoogilise manipuleerimise, seksuaalse ahistamise, küberkiusamise ja toksilise maskuliinsuse teemadele.

Genres: Young Adult, High School, Contemporary, Teen

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 21, 2020

About the author

LAUREN MCLAUGHLIN is the author of five novels, Send Pics, Cycler, (Re)Cycler, Scored, and The Free. She has also written the children’s pictures books Wonderful You and Mitzi Tulane Preschool Detective, both of which feature adoptive families. She is an adoptive mother herself. Prior to her career in fiction, she spent ten years in the film business. She produced commercials and music videos for such artists as Nas, The B52’s, the Spin Doctors, and Monie Love, then went on to write several screenplays, including Prisoner of Love starring Naomi Campbell, Specimen starring Mark Paul Gosselaar, and Hypercube (the sequel to the cult favorite Cube). She also produced American Psycho, Buffalo 66, and several other feature films. She is a member of the improv comedy troupe Amorphous Horse, which performs in a variety of venues in and around London, UK.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ne, ne a ještě jednou ne. Tohle prostě nefungovalo a vůbec nechápu, jak taková knížka může vůbec vyjít, protože její jediné pozitivum je, že je poměrně čtivá (když člověk pomine divná slova a jak často je tam špatně interpunkce).
Ale ten zbytek? To je přehlídka šíleností, blbostí, stereotypů a postav, které by nemohly být dokonalejší – ale k tomu popořadě (aspoň pár věcí) a se spoilery:
- Anotace je neodpovídá ději knihy – např. Suze není nejpopulárnější holka na škole (mluví se o ní jen jako o té nejzajímavější) a co se týče té pomsty? To rozhodně nejsou všichni přátelé.
- Úplně první věc, která knihu kazí, je, že se tu jako vypravěči střídá dost postav a i když je fajn vědět, jak to vidí i další postavy, chybí tu pohled těch hlavních, tj. Suze and Tarkina.
- Postavy! Co se týče těch „dobrých“, tak většina z nich jsou Mary Sue jak vyšité a ten zbytek? Jako ukázka stačí to, že když potřebují hackera, tak nemusí dlouho hledat, protože jedna z postav je v tom skvělá (přeci jen kóduje od sedmi). A ten zbytek jsou jen jeden stereotyp za druhým a vše je přehnané – opravdu není možné, aby byla škola až na nějakých 6 lidí, plná sexistických hovad. A to ani nemluvím o policii a dospělých…
- Děj! Tam je toho špatně tolik, takže zmíním jen to nejdůležitější – znásilnění, pornografie (ať už focení nahých holek bez jejich svolení, tak i postování těchto fotek) či zdrogovat někoho je špatně, jsou to dokonce trestné činy, takže nejlepší, co jde udělat, je jít na policii a ne brát spravedlnost do vlastních rukou a ničit při tom důkazy, které by vašemu případu pomohli… což samozřejmě postavy v téhle knize udělají a sami se dopustí trestného činu, v nejlepším případě usmrcení z nedbalosti, a v celé knížce není ani jednou řečeno, že je to špatné, místo toho se dozvíme, že by daná osoba měla být spíš vyznamenána…
- A ten happy end? Proč? Nemůžete v jedné knížce chtít potrestat špatné / kriminální chování určitých postav a vzápětí nechat, aby to jiné postavě (de facto hlavní hrdince) prošlo (a mluvit o tom, jak je poetické, že si o to oběť koledovala a že jí to jen vrátili).
- A nesmím zapomenout ještě jednu věc – absence jakéhokoli poučení. Na konci knížky nejsou žádné odkazy a telefonní čísla pro lidi, kteří potřebují pomoct (i když to u takových knih bývá) a jediné poučení, které si z téhle knížky jde vzít je, že se autorka vrací nějaké 3 000 let zpátky do doby, kdy se vše řešilo jednoduše způsobem „oko za oko, zub za zub“ a koho zajímá, že jste někoho zabili…
Obecně si myslím, že každá knížka má své čtenáře a bude se někomu líbit, ale tahle knížka je tak špatná, že musím říct jediné – nečtěte ji.

[Sára · Rating 3 out of 5]

První půlka 2⭐️ ale pak to autorka vytáhla na lepší 3⭐️

,,Důležitý příběh o tom, že holky by měly držet spolu, i když jim společnost často tvrdí opak..." tf? :D

- První půlka knihy
Pardon, ale ten začátek byl naprostá katastrofa. Myslím že by mě i bavil kdyby mi bylo tak 12, ale od druhé půlky to je čím dál násilnější a drsnější, takže to pro děti ani neni. Nebo jenom blbý český překlad, kdo ví. Tahle část bylo jedno velké klišé a přišla mi že autorka zacházela až do moc velkých nereálných extrémů (idk jak vypadaj školy v americe, ale tohle jí moc nevěřim)
Zkrátka typický osvalení 😎👹sportovní alfasamci💪💪💪💪 kterých se všichni bojí a úplně na pohodu jim prochází obtěžování a veřejné vyhrožování smrtí. Pak 🥶ledové královny Nikky, Lydia, Ani a Suze🥶 co všechny nenávidí nikdo nemá rád je. Dva geekové- DeShawn geniální karate kid a reportér Marcus co se rýpe ve školních dramatech. A zbytek školy alias lechce ovlivnitelné stádo oveček co běhalo za sportovci. A všichni sedmnáctiletí už mají řidičák!

- Druhá půlka knihy
Hodně nečekaný plottwist to vytáhl nahoru a konečně se tam něco začalo dít. Objevily se snad všechny existující trigger warnings a všichni se začali hrotit. Přišly mi dost ujeté ty školní online hádky. Tam reálně všichni začnou týpkám vyhrožovat kolektivním znásilněním a smrtí, ale vůbec se to neřeší?? Ještě takhle veřejně na facebooku💀Jak se to dělo rychle, všichni se chovali tak nějak random impulsivně. Ohledně konce jsem taková zmatená. Všechna ta soudní řízení a intriky se tam tak zamotávaly a když došlo k naprosto nelogickému závěru, nikdo kromě rýpavé Eleny reportérky to neřešil. Taky jsem doufala, že se ta největší kauza roznese, ne že budou všichni mlčet a celá 2.půlka děje je vlastně tajemství co nikdy nevyjde najevo. Alespoň že to skončilo tak nějak dobře. Jo a bylo tam taky dost překlepů v textu.

- Postavy
Všichni kromě DeShawna mě strašně vytáčeli a prostě je nemam ráda. Pak jsem si na ty lidi trochu zvykla ale stejně. Nikky je na všechny kromě svý party hnusná. Ani je to zázračné hackerské dítě které je vždycky v takovýhle knihách, moc pozornosti jinak neměla. Lydia se chová jak malý dítě a je vlastně pořád jenom naštvaná. Suze je ztělesnění ✨not like the other girls✨ a její chování mi přišlo na 17 letou týpku celkem nereálný, ale udržovala děj v pochodu. Marcus má promyšlené stěry na sporťáky a nevim jestli je to tím překladem, ale znělo to všechno hrozně cringe😭.

Tw- rape, death, murder, sex violence, sex, drugs, language, cyberbullying, bullying, child abuse, alcohol, racism, threathening

[Helin Puksand · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nomaitea. Kuidas saab nii olla, et loed huviga raamatu läbi, aga probleemilahendus on selline, et rikub kogu raamatu ära? Teema on tegelikult väga oluline: seksuaalne väljapressimine. Teema tõttu peaks soovitama raamatut kõigile teismelistele ja ka nende vanematele. Kuna raamat on kirjutatud haaravalt, siis usun, et noored loevadki seda heameelega. Mis mulle aga kripeldama jäi, oli raamatu sõnum: kuigi (noor)mees on tüdrukust vastu viimase tahtmist pilte teinud, neid kasutanud seksile sundimiseks, jääb poiss lõpuks süütuks ja tüdrukul keelatakse sellest rääkimine. No mida?!? Karistamata jäid ka kõik need, kes pilte levitasid ja ähvardasid küll tüdrukuid tappa kui ka vägistada. Raske oli mõista mitme tegelase käitumist, kuna omakohus ei ole lahendus. Muidugi selgus raamatust ka, et kohalik politsei oli äärmiselt saamatu ega suutnud isegi mingeid elementaarseid reegleid järgida (nt alaealise ülekuulamisel peab olema juures tema vanem või esindaja). Aga kui teismeline suudab kindlaks teha, kes pildid postitas, siis politseis ju võiks ka mõni selline töötada.
Kuigi raamat valiti heade noorteraamatute hulka, siis ma ise soovitust ei anna. Mis mulle meeldis, oli mitme tegelase vaatenurgast kirjutamine, kuna see võimaldab tegelasi paremini mõista. Ja tõepoolest, kui juba lugemist alustada, siis on raske raamatut käest panna.

[Kelli Pullisaar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5*

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahistamisega seotud lood on tavaliselt aeglase kuluga, masendavad ja nukrameelsed. Need on lood traumast ülesaamisest ja valust ja edasiliikumisest.

See lugu on aga täis actionit, täis empowering võitlust, täis enda ja teiste eest seismist!

Ootamatuid pöördeid tuleb kohati nagu seebikas, samas on kõik ootuspärane ja tee nendeks pööreteks ettevalmistatud. Lugu on tempokas ja mitmekülgne näidates peamiselt ahistamise ohtusi ja tagajärgi, kuid ka sõpruste eriilmelisust ja tähtsust, ajakirjaniku põnevat ametit ja palju muud.

Mulle meeldis, no nii meeldis. Ei ole küll mingi geniaalne tipp teos uue kontspetsiooni ja võimsa kirjutusviisiga, aga kogu see kompott lihtsalt töötas kokku nii hästi!

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 STARS

After being drugged and exploited by Tarkin, a popular wrestler with a history of sexual assault, Suze discovers he posted naked pictures of her on several porn sites. Not only that, he’s also blackmailing her. Then Tarkin ends up dead and things get complicated.

SEND PICS is not a whodunnit. Lauren McLaughlin tells a straight forward story from the points of view of Suze’s friend Nikki, Deshawn, Suze’s champion who’s repeatedly racially profiled and his best friend and reporter, Marcus. Suze gets one short chapter. Most of story is told from the boys POVs, which made the story different than if Suze had told her story or if Nikki, one of Tarkin’s previous victims, had told it.

Seeing the boys evolve and become advocates was one way to tell the story. At times if felt a bit like mansplaining, though there is much value in boys having a voice in preventing their peers from misogynistic, rape-culture behavior. DeShawn’s experience being profiled felt heavy handed, though realistic. I wish his mom had been proud of him standing up for slut-shamed girls, especially since she’d want the same for his little sister in a similar situation. Deshawn was a hero and my favorite character in SEND PICS.

I loved the “shields up” mantra of the four friends as indicative of having each other’s backs. Though not perfect, their friendships stood out.

The fallout, ending was unrealistic, contrived and weak, though saying why would be a spoiler. The level of unchecked slut-shaming at the school also seemed heavy handed. Tarkin was 100% awful with no complexity or nuance leaving me to wonder, other than athleticism, girls followed him around like puppy dogs. McLaughlin could have given at least some girls the wherewithal to be more than tropes.

I do recommend SEND PICS. Unlike some sexual assault/exploitation stories, SEND PICS may have an appear to teen boys as 75% of the story is male narrated.

[Sage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate this a 2.5/5

I think the plot was very rushed, awkward, cheesy, and a little odd. The part on the preview goes by within 48 hours and from there it's a little random in the plot, dragging the story on. There were some parts that were actually interesting but many parts were super weird, lots of the writing in the book made me cringe and I didn't like the majority of the book. It reminded me of a more intense Dork Diaries mixed with a wannabe mystery novel. It felt a bit unrealistic at times and very ridiculous too. The end was weak and tried to be strong and happy but it had some random loose ends and parts I was still confused about. The book was full of cliches and I also didn't like how the Ani, the Indian girl was "the smart one" in the group and the other was a blond styerotypical girl. Overall I think this book was very unrealistic and tried to be something it wasn't, the timeline in the book was very weird but some people might like this type of reading.

[R.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mitmel korral ma katkestasin „lugemise“, see teema oli raske. Isegi raskem kui „Sild“ ja seal on jutt suitsiidist. Mis saab veel raskem olla? Sextrosion. Eesti keelset väljendit ei tea, aga see on põhimõtteliselt seksi välja pressimine. Piinlike või alasti piltidega, mis tihti ei ole tehtud naisterahva vabal tahtel hakatakse temalt järjest enam seksuaalseid teeneid välja pressima.
Tegevus toimub Ameerika Ühendriikides, kus sportlastest poisid on koolis nagu jumalad. Kõigele vaadatakse läbi sõrmede, eriti kui nende vanematel on raha. Ja Tarkin Shaw vanematel on raha! Ja võimu.
Tutvustuses on lubatud, et: „„Saada pilte” on silmiavav noorteromaan, mis heidab terava pilgu psühholoogilise manipuleerimise, seksuaalse ahistamise, küberkiusamise ja toksilise maskuliinsuse teemadele.“ Ja oi kui tõene see on. Hirmustavalt. Kaasa haaravalt ja põnevalt. Aga ma pean tunnistama, et oma emotsionaalse raskusega ei olnud tegemist kõige meelduvama lugemiselamusega.
Soovitan. Kõigile neile, kes on selles vanusegrupis ja neile kellel on teismelisi lapsi või tuttavaid.
4,5

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taaskord väga hea noortekas. Tõsi veidi USA maiguline, kuid eks üldplaan on ikka sama. Ma tahaksin siiralt loota, et Eestis ei ole korgijoogid nii levinud ja meie noormehed (sportlased) pole sellised kaabakad. Sportlaste teema ja nendega kaasnev vägivald on tegelikult palju kirjanduses levinud. Alles hiljuti lugesin ja kirjutasin Backmani Karulinnast, kus peategelasteks hokimeeskond, teemaks vägistamine ja see, et terve linn oli valmis silma kinni pigistama ja tüdrukut süüdistama. Peaasi, et hokitiim pääseks liigasse ja saaks linnale raha.
Siin raamatus samuti, koolis tegutseb maadlejate tiim, kes joodavad tüdrukutele korgijooki, vägistavad neid, pildistavad ja lisavad tüdrukute fotod pornosaitidele. Paljud tüdrukud isegi ei tea, mida nendega on tehtud. Ja kui proovida tüüpidele vastu seista, siis täiskasvanud ei hooli ega sekku. Sisuliselt täiskasvanud on need, kes annavad signaali kiusajatele, et kõik mis teete, kedagi ei koti, tehke mis tahate. Siin raamatus asi päädib mõrvaga ja koorub veel pikemalt edasi.

"Järjekordne õppetund. Ära kaitse end kunagi. Nad hakkavad siis lihtsalt jõhkramalt vastu ründama. Trollid võidavad alati, sest nemad mängivad teiste reeglite järgi. Neil ei ole südametunnistust, sündsust ega empaatiat. Ei ole vahet, kui mõistusevastased nende väited on või kui kindlalt sa need ümber lükkad, nad muudavad lihtsalt enda taktikat ja ründavad sind teistmoodi. Neid huvitab vaid valu tekitamine. Pole vahet, kas veebis või päris elus."

Seda raamatut võiks lugeda iga ema, kes kasvatab tütart. Seda raamatut võiks lugeda iga ema, kes kasvatab poega ja anda parima, et tema pojast ei kasva kiusajat või seksuaalkurjategijat. Seda raamatut peaks lugema iga tüdruk, et osata end kaitsta (ja kui ka olukord on juhtunud, siis sa ei pea häbenema lolli ühiskonda, vaid jääma tõele truuks ja enda eest seisma, isegi kui sind ei usuta - sõber usub, perekond usub, kõik kes on olulised alati usuvad ja milleks sulle neid lolle, kes sind ei usu).

[Heli Künnapas · Rating 3 out of 5]

See oli üks heade mõtetega halb raamat olulistel teemadel.

Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: https://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/20...

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is hard to review. Not just because of its content (sexual violence and its aftermath are never fun to read about), but also because of its execution. On top of that, I was expecting a hard-hitting contemporary, but this felt more like a thriller at times.

It started off slow, giving a basic run-down of the major characters and how they are connected, but then the pace picked up and the rest of the book flew by. The entire story unfolds in less than two weeks, at breakneck speed in some places, and still you're left feeling like nothing has actually changed all that much in the end.

I guess I expected more consequences for the characters that represented institutions: the district attorney, the journalist, the high school principal. None of them are painted in a good light, but they never have to pay for their failings. In that aspect, this story is unfortunately very realistic. That said, the outcome of this particular story is very unrealistic. But I don't this that was the author's intent, and it doesn't diminish the story's power. The frank discussion about sexual violence is something young adults need. I guess the final chapter offers a tiny spark of hope that things might change in the future, but the darkness of the current situation is still too overwhelming. This isn't a book that will leave you feeling good after you've finished it.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, and while I was initially annoyed at the amount of male perspective in this story about girls fighting back against male violence, I can appreciate the value of those perspectives now that I have finished the book. On the one hand there's DeShawn, a black boy whose experiences are used to discuss racism in the criminal justice system and who is portrayed as The Good Protective Guy. He just wants to protect the people who can't protect themselves, even if they don't want his help, which is what gets him into trouble in the first place. On the other hand there's Marcus, DeShawn's friend and a budding reporter who interns for the local newspaper, who likes to think of himself as The Morally Neutral Bystander. He realises throughout the book that there is no such thing as an innocent bystander, that not speaking up when you see someone harass or abuse someone is the same as endorsing that behaviour. Those two perspectives are invaluable in a story such as this, and it seems obvious to me that those two roles had to be filled by boys.

After reading this book, I was just left feeling relieved that I graduated high school before social media and smartphones were a thing. This isn't me looking back on the halcyon days of my youth, this is me imagining how much worse teenagers have it these days compared to me and my peers. The toxic masculinity, the misogyny, the double standards were just as bad back then, but now those things follow you around 24/7 wherever you go. I honestly don't know how kids these days deal with all of it...

(I received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review.)

[Shaxx · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zaobírá se to těžkými a důležitými tématy, ale nikdy to nedotáhne žádnou myšlenku do konce. Pokud z toho mělo být nějaké morální poučení, není moc jasné, jaké by to mělo být. Možná tak jen - na párty si hlídej svoje pití, ok? Postavy neoplývají žádným charakterem, mnohdy jednají zkratkovitě a pak svědomitě jedou podle zavedeného klišé, které se přímo nabízí, zvlášť vztahy mezi postavami. Konec je směšný absurdistán, který tomu nasadil korunu.

[Liina Palu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jällegi üks väga hea ja väga raskete teemadega noorteromaan.

Võta kuidas tahad, aga mulle see kaasaaegne mitme inimese vaatepunktist kirjutamisstiil üldse ei istu, sellepärast 4 tärni, aga sisult muidu väga viis raamat ja soovitan soojalt.

[aimée · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think i would have given this book 5/5 stars and added it to my favourites if it ended 51 pages ago (there’s 391 pages in my copy). instead, the ending was just dragged out and cheesy, which ruined it :(

[laura-lisett · Rating 3 out of 5]

see oli väga huvitav — ma ei suutnud seda käest panna,
aga leidus ka kohti, kus ma ei saanud mitte midagi aru ja paar repliiki jättis hinge kripeldama..

[Ellie M · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a digital ARC of this book less than a day after requesting, so props to the publishers for that.

This book was honestly nothing like I expected. I thought this was going to be something like The Nowhere Girls, but instead got a mix of Bad Girls with Perfect Faces and Vigilante.
The description doesn't talk a lot about the characters or smaller events, so I'll provide all information on those here.
There are three main narrators, as well as text conversations between two main characters and a diary entry from the main villain of the story. We have Nikki: a girl who's known as cold and snobby at school but is really struggling to move on after an assault by Tarkin Shaw three years before, Marcus: the school's resident reporter, and DeShawn: Marcus's best friend. Suze, who we only get one chapter from, is the girl who has been most recently assaulted by Tarkin after he drugged her and took nude pictures of her without her consent, blackmailing her into faking a relationship. Ani and Lydia are Nikki's two best friends, and of course, Tarkin is the serial predator the book revolves around on.
After the incident with Suze, Marcus and DeShawn attempt to delete the illicit photos off Tarkin's computer by breaking into his house while Suze distracts him, but the next day Tarkin is reported dead. And all the main characters know how, but nobody else does.
To be honest, once this happened I immediately took a star off my rating. Having a perpetrator die is a cop-out that has become popular recently, but almost immediately I found out that this had quickly become a different kind of revenge story than I pictured, and I gave the star back. Most stories like this are from the point of view of someone investigating, but this was the opposite-the main POVs had to watch everyone else investigate while covering up the truth. Just like in Bad Girls with Perfect Faces i mentioned earlier.
Obviously anyone who knows me knows I love stories about activism and girls speaking up, but there were still a few minor complaints that prevented this book from having a 5-star review.
1. Suze's Mary-Sue personality. Everything before the murder happened was basically a circle of how beautiful and great she was, referring to her by first and last name on almost every page. And of course she had to be so special and unique, having lived in Europe and speaking with an accent. Also, the name Suze doesn't really seem "pretty popular girl" to me, at least in this decade, but that's minor.
2. WAY too much of the book focused on the male characters (Marcus and DeShawn) to match its description, which implied a focus on female victims speaking up against Tarkin. I feel like Nikki got about half the page time Marcus and DeShawn each did, and the girl was a victim herself. Also, Suze, the character the entire book revolves around, only gets one chapter. And the badass BFFs only get, like, three scenes of text conversations. (At least DeShawn's chapters did bring up the issue of police brutality/racism.)
3. At one part, 16/17-year-old Marcus gets invited to his 28-year-old coworker's apartment where she gives him alcohol. Big no-no. Luckily, this was only mentioned once and didn't really lead to anything else.
4. Not as big of a problem as before, but Tarkin is said to have Pepe the Frog bedsheets, and if that isn't outdated enough, Nikki, in all seriousness, refers to it as an alt right symbol. This felt like a wasted opportunity, because Nikki, DeShawn and Marcus could have found something truly revealing that Tarkin was some kind of bigot as well as a sexual predator, but all this scene did is give internet trolls exactly what they wanted. Also, this reference hasn't really been relevant enough recently for a teenager to have bedsheets of...
Overall great story plot with important themes, just not as much focus on the actual "main" characters as there should've been.

[Triin Sooäär · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aus lugu koos erinevate karakteritega, moodustades sel viisil sobiva elamuse lugeja perspektiivist. Lisaks oli määratletud mitmete inimtüüpide kaudu justkui peegeldust reaalsetele olukordadele, millest tihti riskikäitumise osas tähelepanu nii suurel määral ei pöörata.

[Liis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Valusalt haarav ja omamoodi huumoriga teos. Popkultuuri ikooni kaasamine eeskuju rolli lisab teistsuguse nüansi. Soovitan lugeda nii lapsevanematel kui ka õpetajatel ehk aitab mõista mõne esmapilgul probleemse noore maailma.

[Brad Krautwurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided an e-ARC of this book through the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm so conflicted with this book, if I'm being honest. Let's start with the good aspects, because what's good is really, really good. Also this review contains minor spoilers.

This book isn't what you expect and I mean that in the most positive way I can. I was on the edge of my seat for this because I wasn't expecting it to have such a thriller feel to it - it reminds me a lot of the less weird seasons - i.e. season 1 - of Riverdale. I thought the three main characters, Suze, DeShawn, and Marcus, were pretty well-developed, and though I had some minor quibbles with a white author writing DeShawn the way she did, I feel it's not necessarily my place to critique. Is the book realistic in its outcomes? No, absolutely not, but I don't think it's trying to be. I really loved the frankness and honesty with which the book discusses sexual assault and I found that to be genuine and difficult to read - as it should be.

Let's get to the not-so-great parts and I'll preface this by saying this review is being written by a queer person. I can't get past the fact that this author wrote a book set in 2020, published in 2020 - and there is not a single queer character in this high school? Not even a passing mention of "so and so is gay?" Even that I would have been happy with, not every book published needs to have oodles of queer content - though I can dream. And this feeling got worse once a few of the antagonists started using the closeness of Marcus and DeShawn against them and calling them "boyfriends" in the grossest way possible, and on top of that, there's a quick nod to queer suicide rates in high school and some gross speculation about an antagonist's sexuality. So you're telling me then that you know of queer people's pain and you know we exist but you can't include even a passing mention that someone might be gay and going to Jonesville High? Now I am willing to entertain the fact that they would be closeted given the rampant misogyny present at the school (misogyny and homophobia are just relatives of each other, after all), but there aren't even rumors of anyone closeted? Between these 6 kids, not a single one of them is anything but straight or even thinking about it? At the end of the day, the hill I am willing to die on is that if you are writing YA and can't even throw a queer bone in, given that only 2/3 of Generation Z is straight, you are participating in erasure - especially when you also mention nothing but queer pain when you do mention us.

I do want to briefly touch on the fact that I also found Elena and Marcus' relationship to be unbelievable - maybe I just have a rose-colored idea of how the world works, but what 28-year old boss would give her 17-year old intern beer at her apartment? For that matter, what 28-year old boss would even invite her 17-year old intern to her house to begin with?

[Kimberly Rein · Rating 5 out of 5]

For fans of What We Saw. Tarkin is a senior and a star wrestler on the Jonesville High wrestling team. Tarkin also has a dark side. The girls of the town sense this and steer clear of him, including the new girl Suze. When Suze makes it clear that she isn’t interested in Tarkin, he plays dirty. He drugs her drink and takes naked pics of her at an angle that makes it look like she took the pictures himself. He uses those pictures to blackmail her into a “relationship.”
Two town boys start to question this new relationship and things start to unravel. Tarkin winds up dead and a mystery unfolds.
Lauren McLaughlin did a great job with this book. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting more. However, there were SEVERAL narrators. Although a bit confusing (especially when 2 friends had one chapter), we were able to see events from several perspectives.
The book did leave me with a few questions, especially with Tarkin’s brother and another boy. I don’t want to give anything away.
I’d rate this a 8.5/10 for suspense.

[cypher · Rating 2 out of 5]

very similar to a lot of past movies i've seen, i did not feel like it was bringing anything which was not already done in books and movies countless times before. is it a true story which fell into oblivion? nothing in my copy said anything like that, so i'm wondering: why this story? was the story written particularly well? not really. were the characters built to be complex? not really. does it paint a revealing scene around american education? not really. yes, it is a story which contains rape, but was it written just because it's a topic with gravity, to sell? i believe using rape in a piece of fiction should be used mindfully, so if this was written fast just to pull another book out of the magic hat for the shelves, i can't approve. it felt a lot like it's just using a lot of popular/common references connected with rape to do a collage of a new scenario. regardless of the intention, the book did not stand out writing wise.

[Martina Krausová · Rating 5 out of 5]

O vydání téhle knížky jsem už slyšela v době, kdy byl velký boom dokumentu V síti a automaticky jsem věděla, že jí na 1000 % budu číst. A teď je tady a konečně jsem ji dočetla!

Z příběhu a cesty, kterou se autorka rozhodla jít jsem nadšená. Bylo to surový, reálný a v některých částech tak uvěřitelný, až mi bylo blivno (ze zápisků v deníku jedné postavy jsem chytla regulérně nervy). Postavy jsem si sice nezamilovala všechny, ale vykreslení charakterů se podle mě povedlo. Konec byl stejně tak realistický a ač nemůžu říct, že jsem s ním spokojená (kdo už četl tak ví, že to prakticky neni možný na 100 %), myslím si, že je to konec, který ta kniha potřebovala. Takže over all 5/5*

(tady jí dávám tedy 5*, protože hodnotím anglickou knihu, český překlad je tak na 3-3,5*)
Protože ač bych chtěla, aby si ji přečetlo co nejvíc lidí, ti kdo ti zvládnou, ať to radši zkusí anglicky, než se do ní pouštět v češtině, protože nejen korektura, ale i překlad se moc nepovedli. Chybějící čárky, tečky nebo uvozovky, překlepy ve slovech a věty často přeložené slovo od slova tak, že člověk co mluví anglicky ví, o jakou frázi má jít, ale v češtině by ji kolikrát vůbec nepoužil tak, jak je přeložená v knize (dává to smysl, že jo?). A je to škoda, protože ta knížka je fakt fakt dobrá.

[clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨3.5 stars✨

Send Pics is, in a word, intense. I thought this book was going to be about blackmail (it was) which was enough to convince me to read it. Then the plot expands so far beyond blackmail. This book is also about teenage relationships, sexual violence, and trying to get out of being convicted of murder. There is just so much here.

This book is compulsively readable. I could not put it down. So much happens all the time. Furthermore, many characters are likeable, and Suze and DeShawn are a good couple. I got what I came for, and I also got more than what I came for.

[Emma Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read my full review here: https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/20...




Opinions: There's nothing to say about Send Pics except that it is heartbreaking, eye-opening, and empowering. In a way, this is the tale of the underdog, in that the victim wins and everybody learns the lesson they need to. I've never read a book with so many themes about friendship, respect, loyalty, love, responsibility, and what being a "normal" teenager means jammed into one book; no matter what you as the reader have been through, who you identify with, or how much you like the book, you will take something positive away from reading Send Pics. Apart from reading an influential and thematic book, Send Pics houses many relatable characters that beg you to love, hate, or love to hate them. There are a range of orientations, histories, archetypes, beliefs, and styles that readers will bond and make lasting connections with. Through the characters came the plot, which is the most empowering part of the book. Send Pics discusses the idea that society has two mental images of teenagers: some see them as young, immature, and aspirational but unable and others see them as sex-obsessed, careless, destructive kids that only care about themselves. The truth is, teenagers are a balanced clash between these two ideas, and Send Pics brings this new idea to the table. In this book, we realize that teenagers are young and immature, but that is what brings on the careless and sometimes sex-driven nature. In Send Pics, characters do the unthinkable to their peers and although it may seem ridiculous or improbable, it has happened to teenagers before and it will keep happening to teenagers until somebody puts a stop to it. That somebody is Lauren McLaughlin and Send Pics is her putting a stop to assault.

My Favourite Thing: I appreciate how straightforward Lauren McLaughlin is in Send Pics. This is an activist book and McLaughlin found little need to sugarcoat the facts, some of which are shocking when you read them because of our culture but realistic when you give it more though. Racism is discussed as a sub-theme of this book and McLaughlin says: yes, we should stop being racist. But right now in time, people are racist. We can't shield readers from that. Everything in Send Pics is the truth, no matter how hurtful it is.

My Least Favourite Thing: On the other hand, Send Pics is a very strong book with content that pertains to teenagers but may not be appropriate for them. While the in-depth analyses of racism, sexism, sexual assault and other injustices are thematic if taken properly, some teenagers may easily be overwhelmed by the seriousness and heaviness of the book. Send Pics is a powerful and empowering story but is only for teenagers prepared to read it.

Per FTC regulations, please know that I received this title for free for review from the original author, the publisher, publicist, or a third party. I am honest in my reviews, meaning the fact I received the book for free does not alter the rating I give it.

[t_kqttae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kniha je pro mě temná a zajímavá. Řeší se tam hodně témat a hodně připomíná seriál z Netflixu 13 reasons why (proč, 13x proto).
Kniha má pro mě 2 zásadní plot twisty.
Knížka byla pro mě dojemná.
Doporučuji ji vam všem a dávám ji 4/5⭐ protože uprostřed knihy to bylo chvíli nudné a potom to bylo zase zajímavé!

[Allyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminds me a lot of 13 Reasons Why Netflix series. It’s relevant to today’s world, upsetting and honest. I wouldn’t let my daughters (15 & 13) read it, but older than that should be okay. Hard to get through some of the passages due to content but an overall good read.

[Katri-Helena Allas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tõsiselt nautisin seda noortekat, mis sest, et teema pole kerge - seksuaalne ahistamine, väljapressimine, isegi mõrv. Hoidis lõpuni pinget üleval, samas oli ka lootustandev ja sündantsoojendav, eriti noorte neidude ühtehoidmine ja ka poiste arvamuse muutumine teose jooksul. Mõnus!

[Keiler :P · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

Honestly plot was sooo bland - last few pages were so like bruhh oml - was kinda corny - most of the characters got on my nerves (love deshawn) - it just made me angry the whole time but it wasn’t even that good i just finished it because i wanted to get through it

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. As a teen right now it was very relatable and had so many lovable characters.

[Lunatic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good, taught me more about so many topics.