Mindy McGinnis

Part 1 of this book was absolutely terrible. If you want to read about a girl bashing literally everyone around her for pages upon pages, that is what you will find here. There was a LOT more drugs, alcohol, and s*x than I could have ever imagined. I knew going into this from the back cover that there was some drinking, but I did not expect the rest.
I did like the survival parts of the story though. The beginning and reminiscing over her relationship with her boyfriend were just too much.
I would not recommend this to younger high schoolers due to the content listed and a lot of language.

2 Stars… (altro)

Content warnings for this book: substance abuse, bodily waste, pregnancy and difficulty conceiving

Having read this The Female of the Species, I can say that I like McGinnis's direct, uncompromising style. She doesn't exaggerate or dramatize, nor does she sugarcoat. If it weren't for that, I'd probably have way more trouble sitting through a book about sports and drug abuse, which are both topics outside my wheelhouse.

Another point for McGinnis - she's good at writing characters that do terrible things but remain sympathetic.… (altro)

Content warnings for this book: rape/sexual assault, physical assault, brief but graphic violence, references to child abuse, animal cruelty, substance abuse

The Female of the Species is marketed as a book about rape culture, but that trendy phrase barely scratches the surface. It's a book about rape and the social pressures that enable rapists to walk free; it's about guilt; it's about violence begetting violence; it's about not wanting to report a sexual assault to the police because you'd have to admit that you were out drinking with your underage friends; it's about not reporting a sexual assault because your friend was the rapist.

McGinnis suggests that sexual violence is a complicated issue that cannot be bubbled down to statistics about one sex's tendencies versus another's. In this book, people of all genders and ways of life contribute to an ongoing culture of violence and rape. Male characters like Jack and Park inappropriately touch others without consent and hesitate to take responsibility when things go too far. Female characters like Claire and Branley use sexual manipulation and slut-shame each other on bathroom walls. These characters are sympathetic and complex, and the reader is invited to understand where they're coming from while also condemning their actions.

Almost no one in this town knows how to handle rape culture; teachers look the other way when students mime out exaggerated sex acts, and policemen make rape jokes in the middle of presentations on date rape. In the middle of the cluelessness and willful ignorance stands Alex, our protagonist. She is the voice of reason, the one who calls others out for being unfair or misjudging... And she's also a cold-blooded murderer. Do with that what you will, 'cause I sure don't know how to handle it.

Alex, and the moral questions her character raises, were my favorite parts of this read. Something is definitely "wrong" with Alex. Most days she is rational and deeply empathetic, but she also occasionally is compelled to violently kill bad people. Alex's "condition" does not fit an easy psychological definition (she's clearly not a sociopath). Without a diagnosis to explain her wild actions, I found this book tipping over into like magical realism, like maybe Alex was actually a vigilante ghost-angel. That's not to say that Alex is flat; I identified so strongly with her self-doubt and self-hatred and adored her for trying so hard to be good. But identifying with her did not lessen the uncanny sense that Alex may never have even existed.

I'm kind of worried that some people read this and happily endorse Alex's most violent acts - i.e. "all rapists should burn, it's just that simple." Alex herself doesn't think this; she lives in constant guilt over the people she's killed. This is meant to be a moral quandary of a book, not an example of the perfect solution.

In essence, The Female of the Species asserts that, yes, men are more likely to commit violent acts than women, but they also engage in a thousand smaller behaviors that lead up to the ultimate violent act; and women contribute, too; and, as Alex proves, women can also be incredibly violent.… (altro)

Mindy McGinnis is a skilled author who excels in creating stories that are relevant and impactful, evoking strong emotions in readers. Her latest book, UNDER THIS RED ROCK, showcases her exceptional talent to an even greater degree. The protagonist, Neely, has a challenging story to tell, and I advise readers to take note of the trigger warnings provided at the start of the novel.

In UNDER THIS RED ROCK, we get a glimpse into Neely's world, complete with her hallucinations. We witness her struggle to navigate her life while keeping up the facade of being mentally stable and ordinary. Initially, Neely's crush on a coworker and her belief that her demons can't follow her into the cave system where she works as a tour guide enables her to successfully keep up the charade. It's especially satisfying to see her find happiness, given the traumatic experiences she's had to endure during her childhood.

However, UNDER THIS RED ROCK could not be a novel by Ms. McGinnis unless her characters were forced to confront their demons in whatever form they took. Neely's descent into darkness is particularly agonizing since we know that she deserves happiness after the traumas of her childhood. As Neely's story hurtles toward an edge-of-your-seat conclusion, all we can do is hope that she will find closure and a small measure of the peace she so rightly deserves.

What makes UNDER THIS RED ROCK a brutal read is the realization that Neely is the ultimate victim. Her mental health issues directly correlate to the events of her past. Yet, through poverty, a lack of decent health insurance, and familial pressures, she does not obtain the help she needs. UNDER THIS RED ROCK is a tragic story, made more so by the fact that it highlights all the faults of our society.

UNDER THIS RED ROCK is another stellar novel by Ms. McGinnis. As always, her subject matter is timely, making her story pertinent to the ongoing societal discussion of mental health stigmas and the lack of adequate care for those suffering from mental health issues. Neely is a haunting character, not just because of her fragility but also because of her desperation to be "normal." UNDER THIS RED ROCK may be an emotionally difficult book to read, but it is worth the effort.… (altro)