Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Hawk Mountain by Conner Habib

13 reviews

brokenspine's review

I see potential in this author. However, there was not a single character that was likable.

Todd was bullied in school and as often happens became a bully. There is child abuse, domestic violence, a lot of homophobia, and it just became exhausting. There is some gore. Unnecessarily so, but nothing I couldn’t handle. And Todd’s unraveling reminds me of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tale Tale Heart, but not as engaging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Body horror, Death, Homophobia, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Excrement, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Blood

atothesecond's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Homophobia

theskyboi's review

challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Biphobia, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Body horror, Death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Excrement, Alcohol, and Classism

melliedm's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

One of those books that I loved, but wouldn’t recommend to most people due to the triggering subject matter. Check the content warnings!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Murder, Blood, Homophobia, and Bullying

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Gaslighting, Grief, Toxic relationship, Outing, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Sexual content

jejohnston's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When I started Hawk Mountain, all I knew was what the book jacket explained: A father, Todd, and his son encounter the father's high school bully, Jack, on a beach one day. And the bully starts to insert himself into the protagonist's life as if there was never any bad blood between them. I was not prepared for what would transpire!

Hawk Mountain deals with internalized homophobia in such a deranged, frustrating, agonizing way. I was kind of hoping the book wouldn't go down that path (the bully turning out to be secretly gay seems stereotypical). But Conner Habib's writing is so mesmerizing that it felt like a new take on this trope. It explores two timelines (the high school timeline and present day) that peel back answers and insights into why things went horribly wrong with Jack and Todd.

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart! There's a reason why this ended up on my Weird Girl/Horror Booktok recommendations. There's violence and body horror that really turn your stomach. At the same time, it's hard to look away.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Gore, and Homophobia

stwo3389's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Objectively super well written, just not my cup of tea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Death, Blood, Outing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Addiction

cannibaldear's review against another edition

I can handle the gay panic defense and slowly cutting up a corpse piece by piece after killing your childhood bully, but draw the line at child abuse /j

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Bullying, Gore, and Blood

theangrygeneral's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Bullying, Body horror, Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime, Excrement, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child abuse

charlie_woodchipper's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

You could tell that the girls/women were written by a man. They were extremely one dimensional. And Anna's reaction to being slut shamed in highschool (which is something pretty much all girl will face in highschool) wasn't it

Todd being such a doormat was often frustrating, but it redeem itself just before part 2 and after part 2

I think the book would have been much better if it was told in first person and not third person

Loved the angst between Jack and Todd, and Jack odd behaviors towards Anthony. That was stressful and unsettling at times 

The bullying was overall very nicely done. I had to take some break because it reminded me of my time in highschool 

Loved the way Todd would talk to Jack during part 2

Those scene with the statue and Jack, and in the bathtub with Anthony... Damn, excellent 

Wish the ending would have been more macabre

Would have given more if it wasn't for the way the women were written. Gave me the ick 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Homophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Child death

booksojwhi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Death, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Cursing, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol