Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

38 reviews

windspice's review

dark sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Miscarriage, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Torture

maregred's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, and Death

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Torture, Child abuse, and Child death

omgmkg's review

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. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Miscarriage, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Rape

miniingrid's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Violence, and Sexual violence

Minor: Death of parent, Colonisation, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Racism

sylexlibris's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual content

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Grief, Sexual assault, Murder, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Body horror, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Infertility, Gore, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit

Minor: War

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

odinspot's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense

• 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

I really enjoyed this book. Hargrave managed to handle this sad part of Norwegian history with care, while also showing how the community turned on each other and anti-sámi sentiment that rears it ugly head in times of crisis. 

I did find the use of Norwegian words distracting at times, like having a character from Scotland use the word «kirke» for church, but other than that it was a solid hit for me. 

One thing I really enjoyed is that towards the end, Ursa and Absalom moved into the house of one of the accused. A small detail, but very accurate to Norwegian history, we have quite the history of stealing other peoples houses.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

typedtruths's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Murder, Sexism, Grief, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Colonisation, Alcohol, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Torture, and Racial slurs

Minor: Pregnancy, Gore, and Animal death

➸ Trigger warnings for period-typical misogyny, colonialism, anti-indigenous racism, forced marriage, religious bigotry, persecution for witchcraft (theme) including the on-page depiction of witch trials and burning women at the stake, graphic martial rape and sexual assault, infidelity (the protagonist is in a forced marriage though), pregnancy and pregnancy from rape discussed, childbirth, miscarriage, alcohol consumption, blood and gore depiction including dead bodies, death of a friend (on-page), death of a father, husband and brother mentioned, mass death by boating accident, murder (on-page), torture (implied), imprisonment mentioned, near-drowning incident, and animal death.