Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

This was quite the read. It hurt to get through. What a triumph of a novel.

4.5 stars. The content is a 5 star but part of the writing didn’t flow super well/needed rewriting especially in the first half (4 star writing) so 4.5 overall.

This book hurt to read. I almost put it down multiple times because of how painful and raw it left me. Like the title and the main character, I’m feeling jaded about the world after reading this. It chronicles the all-too-real path many women face after sexual assault.

I am so glad I read this book. While it’s not one I enjoyed per se I don’t regret reading it one bit. I highly recommend to anyone who wants to better understand what women face in today’s society. That being said, the trigger warnings are numerous so please read them and only read if it is safe for you to do so!!

TW: rape/sexual assault, racism, sexism, classism, eating disorders, self-harm

If you've ever been a person who isn't a straight white man in a corporate environment (or really any work environment), you will know what the fuck is up with this novel from the jump. It's an unflinching portrayal of one woman's experience being harassed and assaulted by coworkers at a high-profile law firm — but more than that, it's about how she copes (or doesn't) and how the people surrounding her react. To me, every single response — from foolishly trusting the company to act to believing she should forget and move on to victim blaming to pure rage — was all too realistic. This was a tough read at times but worth it for the ending, in my opinion.

4.5 stars rounded up.

"I mean, how can something I don't properly remember hurt this much?"
"Our bodies remember, even if our minds don't."

This was one of the most compelling, emotionally engaging, and beautifully written books I've read in a long time. The fact that this was a debut just makes it even more incredible. I connected with Jade, the narrator, almost immediately, and it felt like I was a friend going along the journey with her, hoping she'll spot the red flags in her relationship, wanting so much better for her and wanting to take away her pain. This book was crushing in a way that is all too realistic, with one thing spiraling into another spiraling into another and so on until it seems like it just can't get any worse. Then, somehow, it always does.

A lot was tackled in this book: sexual assault, domestic violence, racism, sexism, the laughable state of DEI in corporations, immigration, etc. I worried it would be too much to take everything on in a way that does these very serious topics justice, but Ela Lee did it and she did it in a way that read effortlessly.

This is not a hopeful book. This book hurt and enraged and provided little moments of joy. This is a painful book to read, and for some people it will definitely be too much so please check CW and TW, but it was oh-so worth it.

What a ride this book was. Jaded follows the story of Jade, a first generation immigrant child in the UK who apparently has it all: a boyfriend who adores her, a successful career as a lawyer and friends that support her. It was very interesting to read from her perspective the experience of being mixed race and how she conceals herself to appease other people, especially on her job at a big London law firm. Jade's dad is Turkish and her mom is Korean, which is a very interesting couple. I liked reading about how they blend their traditions and cultures. I also enjoyed the female relationships Jade has with her friends Adele and Eve.

One day, Jade wakes up after a work party without remembering how she got home, with a painful hungover and bleeding that she assumes is her period. I loved a quote at the end of the book that said along the lines of "I don't know why it hurts so much if I don't even remember." And the other part responds, "The body remembers." That is so true, that's why is so important to treat trauma even though we feel like we're fine. This book touches very important matters that we as a society don't talk about enough. Jaded tackles them in a graceful and engaging way. Definitely check trigger warnings before picking up this book, but if you do pick it up, you won't regret it. I can't recommend Jaded enough.

Thank you very much Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

This story feels so real--dripping with raw pain, confusion, and the helplessness of not knowing where to turn and who to trust. So hard to read but still I couldn't put it down. Really, really well done!

I could not focus while reading this book. Neither the characters nor the story, were engaging enough to keep my attention. The story moved so slowly that it took days to get through pages, and it felt like no progress was ever made.

Jade is a successful lawyer, putting in endless hours of work to prove her worth at a prestigious law firm. But when she wakes up the morning after a work gala with no memory of the night before and increasingly disturbing symptoms and flashes of memory throws her perfect life off balance.

Jaded is a timely, moving portrait of a woman grappling with the reality of being assaulted in today’s world. I appreciate the writing and the story, but I can’t say I enjoyed the experience of reading it. It was infuriating, but, of course, that is the point.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book. The topic was heavy and triggering; and I really struggled to read the content.

I'm not sure if it was just us, but I was discussing with a group of friends who also were approved for this, and none of us were prepared for the content to be so heavy for so long. I'm not sure if we just missed the trigger warnings, but we didn't see any and from the description alone we didn't necessarily expect it to be the bulk of what we were reading.

With that being said - I do not think this is a bad book by any means. I cannot objectively say one way or the other, as I did not read it in its entirety.

Thank you for providing this ARC, and I'm sorry it didn't work out for a full read and review.

This was a really strong debut with a very well written MC. Loved this book and hope the story can resonate with its female readers.

I go back and forth on my take for this one. On one hand, the subject matter (a victim scared to accuse her coworker rapist in fear of losing a rising position at her law firm, boyfriend, and more) plays out in a way that is almost too realistic to enjoy. On the other hand, when one picks up a novel, they don’t usually expect a memoir style outcome and maybe that is a good thing. I’m trying not to give too much away, but maybe I was just expecting more of a Hollywood ending.

My feelings towards the actual story aside, I had trouble with the writing style. The use of italics felt unnecessary and confusing. I hope that is changed in the final edit. Jade is already the narrator/MC - we are reading the story from her first person lens, we don’t then need italics to read her thoughts. Lee definitely has something here and I hope it’s polished up a bit more before release.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🌹TLFL Spoiler-Free Book Review🌹
🌹Book: Jaded
🌹Author: Ela Lee
🌹Publisher: Simon and Schuster
🌹Genre: Fiction, New Adult, Women’s Fiction, Coming of Age
🌹Review/ Recommendation:
There are books that change the way you see yourself and the world, and Jaded by Ela Lee is one of them.

The book follows a young woman named Ceyda (informally known as Jade) as she navigates her career, family, relationship, friendships, and self worth amidst significant personal tragedy.

Lee highlights themes of race, class, identity, and gender within her debut novel. When I finished the book, I reflected back on how this was so eloquently accomplished. The way that the author crafted Jade as a character allowed us to see life through a multi-faceted lens. We experienced Jade’s perspective of living in the UK as an adult child of Korean and Turkish parents, as a woman trying to excel her career in a misogynistic workplace, as a survivor of SA struggling with PTSD, and as a partner trying to live up to the expectations of her wealthy boyfriend’s lifestyle.

Lee masterfully takes the reader on an emotional journey that calls attention to how easy it can be to lose our essence when we abandon pieces of ourselves to fit in or to please everyone around us.

Jaded is raw, realistic, and possesses a sadness that will no doubt tug at the hearts of readers. I found myself unable to stop reading as page after page I saw fragments of my own experiences as a woman in this story.

This was a beautiful, eye-opening debut by Ela Lee. I highly suspect this book will be in the running for awards.

Thank you to Ela Lee, NetGalley, Simon and Schuster for this advanced copy to read.

TW: SA, DV, PTSD, Mis0gyny, R@cism, Xen0phobia, Cl@ssism, S3xissm

#bookreview #Elalee #Jaded #SimonandSchuster #NetGalley #ARCreview #bookrecommendations #womensfiction #literaryfiction #comingofagefiction #diversereads

I loved the premise and was excited to read the book. I found parts of it to be a bit confusing, especially towards the end. The pacing was a bit slow at times and felt like the book could have used a bit more editing. Overall, I enjoyed the story and writing.

This was amazing.

I highly recommend. These kinds of stories are my favorite to read while they also leave me so emotional and reflective.
So well written and an impactful message.

I could not put this down. I think this was extremely well written.
It follows the FMC as she faces racism, gender bias, assault, harassment, and familial and cultural expectations among other challenges. I often found myself wondering what I would do in her situation. Jade (Ceyda) is a very relatable character and the author does an incredible job at bringing her to life.

I'm not sure I was in the right headspace for this, but I read the prologue and the first chapter and felt a bit lost. I DNF this, but I plan to come back to it later.

What an accomplishment! This is a perfect blend of tackling an important topic with rich family culture, raw emotion, and hope. I felt everything SO deeply while reading: blood boiling anger, heartbreak, tenderness, love. Honestly I wouldn't change a thing about this book. I can't wait to get my hands on a final copy so I can carry the last few passages with me forever.

This was a very difficult book to get through but I felt like it was an important one. It reflects the world we live in and how difficult it can be for women. It’s relatable and Jade was a character that you were able to empathize with. I would definitely advise reading it.

Jesus. This was a hard read, but very very relatable. Jade, as a character, begins with everything I want, yet as the story goes on I discover more and more similarities between us. I found the relationships gut-wrenching at times, but also had to question whether or not the experience she has blurred into the lines of an office stereotype. 3.5/5

Jaded is the story of Jade, a daughter of mix-heritage living in London and climbing the corporate ladder of the legal world. She gets raped following an evening at a work party where she got far drank too much and was taken home by what was thought to be a nice fellow. Trying to piece what happend the next day and the fall out is what make this book outstanding. Because she is a women and a mixed race one makes her struggle more powerful.