Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Mercies

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

51 reviews

imlfox's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Content Warnings

mad_is_rad's review

Go to review page

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Emotionally wrecked from this one. It made a distant atrocity (the witch hunts in northern Norway in the 17th century) into something very personal and real. Ursa was a stand-out character and I really admired her fortitude. If you’re looking for something heartbreaking and bleak, but with moments of tenderness, this is the one. Great winter read…unless you’re already sad!!! In which case, go read The Thursday Murder Club or something!

Content Warnings

lukests's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

Content Warnings

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.0

Content Warnings

omgmkg's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was advertised to me as witch trial fiction, but it is really much more about the conditions that allow a witch hunt and trial to happen. As a bit of a social scientist, this fictionalized take really speaks to me. At the same time, that makes the pacing of the book a bit odd—first quite slow and then fast.

The exploration of what it would have been like if a remote place had lost all its men (which did actually happen historically) was fascinating and a part of that slower pace, though, and I really enjoyed it. As one reviewer stated, it is a feminist book without ignoring historical reality.

I loved Ursa and Maren and really felt I learned their worlds. I was rooting for each of them right away.

Sort of spoiler (very mild)

I wish that there was a more positive or satisfying end, but that is just not realistic in this type of book.

It is written in present tense which is not my preference, but I got used to it.

Content Warnings

starryforest's review against another edition

Go to review page

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

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

4.25

This was so hard to put down. Very compelling and moving. Good discussions of gender and the roles of women in society, the impact of Christianity on native people, and what unprocessed grief can do to people.

Very atmospheric and pretty gay.

Content Warnings