Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Gathering by C.J. Tudor

9 reviews

kaiyakaiyo's review

adventurous 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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

a fun time, definitely twisty! 

maybe a few too many twists actually, but I liked this a lot overall! The idea of vampires as an indigenous-ish species that lived in harmony with the land, only to be subjugated and made into second class citizens was very compelling! 

im not a fan of red herrings, so there was a point where I was just like “can we get on with it damn”, but in general i loved Barbara and her thought process was fascinating. the reverend… CRAZY 

would love a sequel! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Hate crime, Child abuse, Blood, Colonisation, Body horror, Misogyny, Gore, Domestic abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Torture, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Murder, Suicide, Sexual violence, Homophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Terminal illness

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I don’t love books about vampires (spelled ‘vampyrs’ in this book), but vampire hunters? Ooooooo. When a boy is found dead in the town of Deadhart, Alaska, Chief Nicholls is immediately convinced the nearby community of vampyrs (otherwise known as the Colony) is to blame. There is a law that if the Colony is posing a threat to humankind, the government may authorize a cull to essentially wipe them out. 😳 Dark! Detective Barbara Atkins of the Forensic Vampyr Anthropology Department is assigned the case to determine whether the boy’s murderer was in fact a vampyr or perhaps something more sinister. While this story was so unique, I had trouble following its many characters. There were simply too many to keep track of! Once I got to the book’s ending, I had to do a quick recap in my brain, and there wasn’t any space left for me to be excited about what I learned or what Barbara uncovered. I wouldn’t recommend this if you are looking for a quick read; it was more of a mystery with many (too many, in my opinion) threads for your brain to follow. I’m also not sure what the epilogue meant. ☹️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Confinement, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Medical content, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Infidelity

amanda_reads89's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Murder, Violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Gore

Minor: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual assault

paronomaniac's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Colonisation, Confinement, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Deadnaming, and Transphobia

josiesprobablyreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Confinement

Minor: Child death, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Gun violence

mollified_moments's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

The cover of this book and the Alaskan setting really set a perfect tone. I had to rely on my imagination and pretend I was curled up on the couch during a snowstorm with a fireplace and a hot cup of tea while reading since the weather here has been in the 80s.

In *The Gathering,* C.J. Tudor weaves a riveting story set in rural Alaska, mixing murder mystery, police procedural, and a touch of horror. Detective Barbara Atkins is a refreshing protagonist—a plus-size, slightly out-of-shape woman who is intelligent, empathetic, and unafraid to stand up for what's right. It's nice to see a lead character who defies typical stereotypes and feels more relatable. She also loves to eat, which is refreshing—just not reindeer, lol!

Jenson Tucker, a former sheriff and Atkins' ally in the investigation, adds depth to the story with his complex history and knowledge of the town's dark past. He was definitely one of my favorite characters in the book.

Atkins' investigation into a gruesome crime leads her to Deadhart, a small town dealing with old fears and deep-seated prejudice against the vampyr colony living in the nearby woods. At its core, this book is about racism—only in this case, the victims are the vampyr colony who face prejudice because they're different from the townspeople. The townspeople’s suspicion and bigotry toward them mirror modern-day issues of discrimination.

The pace of the novel is fast, with multiple twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat. The threat level continues to rise, making it a gripping page-turner as you try to second guess what happens next. It's creepy, eerie, and macabre in places, ramping up the danger and hysteria at every turn.

Tudor's unique blend of murder mystery and horror-lite made this novel captivating. It seems like the author left the book hinting at a sequel, and I’m eager to see what happens next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, and Violence

unboxedjack's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Kidnapping, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Rape, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, and Sexual violence

amy_reading_23's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This is a well written and fast paced book. I'd say it fits more the crime genre than fantasy, it just happens to have vampires in it. I think it was an interesting take on vampires and they were certainly used as a device to explore real life issues like prejudice, inequality, and scapegoating. The vampire colony shared a lot of similarities to native American reservations and how indigenous people of America have been treated - I am not indigenous or American so can't really say if this was done sensitively but it seemed to be to me. It was certainly interesting, and it's one of my favourite things magical books does - is to hold a mirror up to society and make us think. 

I thought it was refreshing to have a middle aged plus sized lesbian protagonist and I mostly enjoyed her character, however I was dissapointed by one throw away comment towards the end that she should cut down on calories. I would love it if one day we could have a plus sized character who isn't told or isn't thinking about losing weight.

This book doesn't shy away from the heavy topics, and some content is quite explicit, so if you are worried about finding some things triggering then check out the content warnings first. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Addiction, Cancer, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, and Kidnapping

Minor: Body shaming, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Rape

jasmine256's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Body shaming, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia