Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Four by Ellie Keel

35 reviews

_bird_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. I wasn't expecting this book to turn out the way that it did. I can’t remember the last time I got emotional over a book but this left me with watery eyes. The author does an impeccable job at telling the story of four hopeful, vastly different yet similar kids who embark on their journey at a boarding school that they hope will change their lives for the better. What happens in the time that they are at High Realms is so heart breaking relatable, so devastating, it’s a roller coaster of emotions that make you question how far you would go to protect your friends and those you love. It also paints a very raw and brutal portrait of what unchecked trauma does to a person especially when it’s compounded with events that continue to tear you apart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

An atmospheric and intensely foreboding, dark academia that follows four scholarship students and their often brutal experiences at a prestigious boarding school at the turn of the millennium (‘99-00.) 

I did enjoy this as the writing was soo compulsive, with its vividly descriptive (slow burn) exploration of the each of the characters’ experiences at High Realms and the systemic failures of the UK’s private education system. But, it was quite tough to get through emotionally, as soo many of the themes and events centre around pretty dark/ bleak topics. As such I’d definitely recommend checking out the TWs first, as I did find quite a few scenes pretty harrowing. 

I wasn’t nearly as diligent and found myself struggling to continue (particularly in the second half), mostly as I was a sobbing (and slightly traumatised) mess by then.

That being said, the depth and emotions Ellie Keel infuses into her characters (Rose, Marta, Lloyd and Sami) was phenomenal and really helped to pull me through, as I was soo invested in seeing how things would pan out for them. 

If you loved The Secret History or If We Were Villains then I definitely recommend checking this out! 

Also a huge thank you to Harper Collins UK for my giveaway win of the proof. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Suicide

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Vomit

Minor: Child abuse and Mental illness

jordanmvickers's review against another edition

1.0

I wish that I could unread this. 

And content warnings because the author doesn’t give them: rape, sexual assault, self-harm, suicide/suicidal ideation, abuse, bullying, and you could probably put disordered eating under here too...in a book about 17 year olds

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

botch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

jaimeelou's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Abortion

krissayel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying and Self harm

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit

staxreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

It was a bit of a weird one and I'm not sure how to rate it as a whole. I was oddly hooked on this book yet felt little / no connection to any of the characters. The story was gripping yet I felt that the 'serious' parts were over the top and unnecessarily violent. Honestly there were times when I wasn't sure that I wanted to continue reading, yet I could not bring myself to put the book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

enca97's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Abortion

bookb1itch's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Although this book has some MAJOR red flags - self-harm, suicide, rape - it was engrossing and beautifully fits the Y9 Savage Humans genre study.  It is a disturbing tale, but a lovely exploration of friendship and romantic love.  Boarding schools should be outlawed.  I found myself often wonderinng if this was an "unreliable narrator" story, which added a layer to the mystery.  I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the main characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Suicide attempt

hannrs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

Wow, what a debut! Took some time to get into it, because I thought it was just another story about teens at school and bullying. I am too old for that. But the story totally got me hooked, could not put the book down.
Well executed dark academia in vibe and motifs with a bit of self-awareness and genre commentary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Rape, and Vomit