Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill

8 reviews

kirstenf's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Rape, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Classism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Abandonment, Murder, Emotional abuse, Child death, Alcohol, and Violence

Minor: War, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

calicat42's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

This is the one book I would read for the first time over and over again. Tragically beautiful. A commentary on love, humanity, relationships, and trying to find our way in the world. It shatters your heart beautifully.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide, Drug abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

lectricefeministe's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Classism, Drug use, Miscarriage, Murder, Trafficking, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Sexual content, Infidelity, Rape, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia

cubon's review against another edition

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

2.0

I wonder why only the minority mentions the perverted parts of this book. Yes obv this book is also part about rape, but tell me then - why are the rape scenes written more beautiful than the actual consensual acts??? Also the mention of his dick size several times gave me such alpha male author vibes. I loved the writing style in the beginning because it reminded me of the little princess book, but this one got worse with time. almost screams murakami I can’t believe a woman wrote this. 

Pierrot and Rose have no chemistry as well. They seem like twins(?) almost. I tried to find anything were we could see an actual connection and mutual understanding that wasn’t written direct and painfully obvious. I mean cmon „You are my Napoleon,” ???

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Rape, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Classism, Child death, Child abuse, Addiction, Abortion, and Abandonment

Moderate: Abandonment

ella_mai_46's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

margaretrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Graphic: Abandonment, Miscarriage, and Violence

kiwieroses's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

WOW. This book was absolutely incredible. Its main themes revolve around trauma, the underworld of crime, drug trafficking and prostitution, performers/artists, and two orphans trying to find love in the cruel world they live in during the great depression. Even though it's filled with dark themes and quite explicit adult content, the book is written as a fairy tale or a bedtime story for children (sounds weird, I know, but if you read it you'll know what I mean) which makes it relatively easier to get through for the faint of heart, like myself. I cried at the end, but the last 3 pages are incredibly hopeful and gorgeous; please do not read them ahead of time like I did because the ending was SO epic, and I'm still upset that I spoiled it for myself haha.
O'Neill has a way with words that is incredibly unique and unlike anything I have read before, which takes you up and down through tragedy and triumph, and I just wish I could thank her in person for making such a stunningly heartbreaking piece of art.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Pedophilia

Minor: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

The graphic TWs are explicitly stated and detailed in the book, or are central to the plot and character personalities. If you have not had trauma from these situations, it will likely be a little hard to get through, but not unbearable because the book is written in the tone of a bedtime story for kids (it's complicated but beautiful). If you have had trauma from these graphic situations, I would suggest skipping this book, because it may be a bit much. The minor TWs are only very lightly inferred/mentioned, proceed with caution.

thebacklistborrower's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

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

4.0

This book was a CBC Canada Reads longlist book, and I read it while waiting for one of the shortlists to show up. I had read Lullabies for Little Criminals years ago (also a Canada Reads pick), and it has stuck with me ever since.

There are a lot of similarities between the two books: both broadly about children whose childhoods were stolen from them. The Lonely Hearts Hotel is about two children born in a home for unwed pregnant girls. Rose and Pierrot connect young with their ability to entertain: Pierrot a savant at the piano, and Rose as a clown and dancer. Originally punished for this, the nuns running the orphanage eventually realize they can exploit these talents in the homes of the rich to get more money until Pierrot is adopted and Rose is sent to work as a nanny, and they lose touch, living lives where they did what they could to scrape by, run from trauma, make ends meet, and try to get by. When they do find each other, a plan is hatched to make it so big they don’t struggle again.

This book might not have been the escape many would have wanted. There is abuse, violence, and drugs as these two teenagers-- still children-- try to get by in a world that doesn't care about them. I don’t hesitate to say it was sad throughout. In this book, O’Neill plants sadness, and tends to it, until it grows into something new and transformed. Even at the end, when Rose and  Pierrot are reunited and happy, the sadness is there. It grows through their happy facade and eventually breaks it apart. 

All that being said, it is a beautifully written book, and if you are in the mood for something melancholic and beautiful in its own way, I’d recommend this book to read. Just know what is lying ahead.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence