Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

15 reviews

ebp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

Minor: Physical abuse

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Blood, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Body horror

te_ss_i's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Dysphoria, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Transphobia

Minor: Rape

softgalaxy's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a very short read, which is my biggest criticism. But overall, a solid read. 

It’s a very haunting story to read when you live in a world that has the very popular phrase “fake news”. This book was much larger than itself. Literally, like Pet. As you read, you feel the real world loom over you. 

I really liked the lack of emphasis on Jam’s trans identity. Sometimes in books, there has to be a whole chapter dedicated to a character and their struggles being trans. Jam was just transgender and that was that. Trans people just exist.

Pet was a bizarre ‘monster’ - you sadly don’t get to understand where Pet comes from - like why did it come out of a painting? Obviously there’s a lot of symbolism to unpack, but you really could be here all day.

The reason this review is not a full 5 stars is because of the ending - it seemed to backtrack on everything the book was saying.

Making an evil character have a physical flaw is a harmful ableist trope.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Child abuse

Minor: Blood, Gore, Body horror, and Dysphoria

oddlyghoul's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, Transphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Classism, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Islamophobia, Violence, and War

bookishfaye's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

This was so fricken cool??? I will absolutely be picking up more by this author because I’m so obsessed with this. So unique & I have so many thoughts in head. I just wish I owned a copy so that I could have annotated it because wow. 

TW: child abuse/SA (off screen/just alluded too, some gore and violence 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Dysphoria, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

amre23's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Incest

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Ableism, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Deadnaming, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Dysphoria, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Medical content, Suicide, Police brutality, Cursing, and Sexual violence

jediprincess's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.75

What an absolutely brilliant book. Everyone needs to read this. I wish there had been a bit more background information provided about the revolution but otherwise perfection.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Violence

Minor: Dysphoria and Transphobia

rainbowrachel's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Minor: Dysphoria

allapaz's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

4.5

Oh boy, what a great story, what a beautifully-written book, what wonderful symbolism. The book feels mysterious but familiar at the same time, and I absolutely loved the main characters and how full and real the cast felt. The themes were heavy, and the allegory of seen things versus unseen things and the terrifying climax really left me reeling. I enjoyed this book, and I will read this book again. Only thing holding me back from that full 5th star is my selfish wish for more--this book went by so fast for me. I want more of Jam's family, of the fun and love between Bitter and Aloe and Jam. I want more of the good and more of the friendship and more paranormal and world-building and lore....but I think the fact that we got what we got is beautiful too. I'll for sure be thinking about this one for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Dysphoria, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Discussions about child abuse and child sexual abuse are left vague but the implication is clear. Strikes me as a level of discussion that lets the reader fill in the blanks appropriately--the fact that abuse is occurring is clear, but the details don't need to be spelled out. This I think leaves the book open for younger audiences as well, as the explicit mentions are of bruises and secrecy, so younger audiences may interpret the issues as less severe, if that makes sense.