Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

18 reviews

summerb's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder, Transphobia, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Rape, Vomit, Racism, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, and Homophobia

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

That was really well done and the execution was splendid. However, the theme about monsters not looking different fell a little flat since 

the monster got mutilated

  during the finale 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Torture, Child abuse, and Gore

discarded_dust_jacket's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Akwaeke Emezi doesn’t miss.

This story is both tender and gut-wrenching. I loved Jam as a protagonist and her relationships with both Pet and Redemption. I loved the depictions of dissociation and non-verbal communication.

The theme of justice, especially in a post-prison society was also handled really well, I think. I just really appreciated all the different elements of the story, from the building of the town of Lucille and the quasi mythology surrounding its revolutionary history, to the magical realism, to the character relationships. It was all so well-crafted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Blood, and Gore

Moderate: Incest, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

hollowhallow13's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

Honestly just amazing

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Torture

mellowreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

GOD I LOVED THIS. Such a good message, especially for a YA, and so beautifully and uniquely written. Both fable and dystopia, PET encourages readers to be unafraid to face even the most terrible truths, that monsters can take the shape of the best of us, that no change will be made if we are not actively looking for the problems, and that if you see something. Say something. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pedophilia and Incest

kbairbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

That was absolutely amazing! What?! THIS should be required reading in schools. Wow I’m absolutely flabbergasted by the strength and … nope I can’t continue. I’m speechless. Incredible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

haylzno's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

My first Akwaeke novel and I LOVED it. I truly cannot wait to read Bitter. 

I absolutely adored the world/community in which this novel was set in (although we have the "curtain" raised at some point - but the idea of this perfect, nothing-goes-wrong-because-bad-people-don't-exist-anymore world was so...intriguing and quite frankly, a very lovely thought). 

The representation in this book - unmatched. We've got poly relationships, trans rep, queer rep, disability rep, you name it. 

The dynamics and relationships between the humans but also between Pet and Jam was fun to explore. Emezi's writing is top tier. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

sarahrosea's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Police brutality, Racism, and Transphobia

neighborhoodbeanreads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book does a great job of forcing the reader to think critically about the world around them. It's exposes the reader to what the world could be like if we were able to remove the oppressive systems in place (i.e. the police, prisons) and what it would be like if when those institutions were dismantled, how oppression, crime, and other forms of violence are practically eliminated-- or so you'd think. I found this a challenging read in that this kind of world is something one would hope for, but also forces you to reflect as to how this would play out in our world, and whether we can truly stamp out the existence of 'monsters'.

There's also amazing trans representation!!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Pedophilia, and Torture

Minor: Blood

leon3lliott's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Gore, Torture, and Pedophilia