Thriller: Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

5/10

Dear reader, 

I was very indifferent towards this book, there were parts that were slow and boring and there were parts that kept me on my toes. I have several opinions on this book, honestly. 

First, the protagonist is pretentious, self-victimizing, and annoying. She spends half the book shitting on everyone’s interests and personality while being the absolute worst person possible. Irina, the protagonist, is such a hard pill to swallow. She’s the hardest part to get through this book, and her negative “I’m not like the other girls” and above everybody else personality is impossible to read. Irina’s mean and abrasive. 

Still, no matter how I feel about Irina, she gives readers an interesting perspective on how society views women. No matter how threatening, dangerous, or mean we are, we are still victims of the male gaze. While Irina is outright dangerous, men still perceive her as somewhat docile or weak. It almost makes me feel bad for her, of the way men are rough with her and sexualize her. 

This is the confusing part of this book. I sympathize with Irina so much because I understand, but she’s so insufferable in every possible way that I can’t seem to care. I’m not sure who would like this book, because the sell for me was that it would involve her being some kind of boy killer, but the book barely even talks about the people she actually hurts or kills.

-Grace Sofia