Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

11 reviews

klsreads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

I picked this up on a whim to read alongside Caliban and the Witch, and I ended up loving it. The writing is an absolute feast - I felt I could touch the world and characters. +100 for a gorgeous exploration of Sapphic desire and love. 

This book is sad but the subjects are treated with immense tenderness. Will definitely be reading more of Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Rape, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Blood, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Vomit

Minor: Animal death and Colonisation

starryforest's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

??
i didn’t like the ending, but it was  realistic and dramatic 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, and Violence

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Weirdly, this is the 3rd or 4th witch hunt/burnings book I’ve read this year. This is really well written and interesting, and does a great job of character development and crafting the remote setting. It is also stressful (check content warnings), as witch hunt books usually are!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Torture, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Rape

Persecution, false accusations, witch hunt, drowning

shoohoob's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Genuinely one of the most tense books I have ever read. There is such a feeling of terror and anxiety in every word of this book. I somehow knew what was coming and STILL managed to be shocked at the end. Every time there was even a shred of happiness, it was taken away just as fast. I loved it!

I also wanted to note that this is NOT a romance book. The sapphic aspect is interspersed and is not the main focus of the book. Just be aware of that in case you are recommended this book as a sapphic read!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Blood, Animal death, Torture, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Grief, Death, and Cursing

nicnevin's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This story is capitivating, almost as if by magic. 

That tasteless joke aside, its a beautiful piece showing how minor quibbles can lead to such devestating consequences. 

The relationships and social connections throughout are stitched together with a raw, real intensity. Its beautiful. 

A warning though, it can be intense so just a heads up! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Classism, Confinement, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Violence, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Torture

mcdermott_af's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I’m very glad that I finally picked this book up out of my to read pile. Prior to reading this, I had never heard of any witch trials in Norway. Despite knowing quite a lot about other, more well known, witch trials I was still shocked at how quickly the town changed. The book itself was beautifully written and each of the characters had flaws and a decent amount of depth. Like with many books though, I felt like the ending was lacking.

I wanted things to be wrapped up neatly. I wanted to know what happened to the main characters after the trials. I wanted to know if they lived or died. If they found happiness despite the hell they had witnessed. Alas, the story was left open ended which is the only reason it does not get 5 stars.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, and Torture

lucyselim's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-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

3.75

This was truly a case of 'it's not you, it's me'

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Sexism, Death, Hate crime, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, and Xenophobia

olivianw's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Death

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

amanda_hook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death

kayesomething's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Rape, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Violence, Torture, Pregnancy, Grief, Sexual content, Child death, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Infidelity, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide