Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

13 reviews

jordanbolker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? No

3.25

This book definitely got better throughout. But I admitted that the language that the book is written is a little difficult to comprehend. But loved all the longing and slow burn that occurs between Maren and Ursa and felt happy when they had that one night together. It was a good story and historice fiction novel and I appreciated the historical note at the end to summarize everything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Murder, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Genocide, and Misogyny

Moderate: Miscarriage, Classism, and Colonisation

nyk4envy's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing and language was something to get used to, but once I did, I saw it for it’s beauty. A tragic story of pain and love and survival. It can only reflect on the current state of our world. Being prosecuted, oppressed, losing and grieving, finding yourself grounded by loves in your life. It was incredible to read, sometimes I couldn’t put it down. Sometimes I needed to put it down. I cried with the characters, I raged with them. 
Incredible story based on a far away tragedy and I couldn’t have asked for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Rape, Homophobia, Violence, Colonisation, Infertility, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Murder, Torture, Death, and Grief

mxawprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, 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!

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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

moviemagus's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Sexism, Death, Animal death, Rape, Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Violence and Torture

paniquemecanique's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

I would have rated it a 4 right after reading it but I just keep coming back to it in my mind. It was long and a bit hard to finish (shout out to my short attention span girlies) but it was a wild and beautiful ride.
This is a historical book based off real facts that takes place in Lapland in the 1800's, about the big european witch hunt, the colonization of the indigenous Sami people, and about a matriarchy. The characters are deep and nuanced and beautiful, and the whole story forces you to be fully there with them in every moment.
KMH is a divine autress who writes so intensely and beautifully, it is very hard not to be haunted by the book (I am writing this months after finishing it and I cant forget the most thrilling parts ).
Absolutely recommended,  but be very mindful of the TW. It is a hard and truthful story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime

emeraldjulep's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful, but bleak cautionary tale for our time. This island of women and what happens with, and to, them will stick with me for a long time. The story is artfully told on the Audible version. The narrator has a Scandinavian accent as well which I felt added an authentic atmosphere to the story (and pronounced all the names I would have have never gotten right). I would recommend reading The Mercies in any format.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Torture

decie's review

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

this could have been so good but

as soon as they arrested the friend it went downhill SO FAST. devastating. and I know it's historically accurate for it to be devastating, but tbh i want all books to give all queer people happy endings.

...definitely check the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Misogyny, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Child death and Miscarriage

sarahfr1end's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, Infertility, and Pregnancy

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'

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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