Reviews tagging 'Rape'

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

161 reviews

galoshes's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I'd picked up this book at the library, opened to the first page, and put it back on the shelf and looked for something else. Nothing else seemed particularly interesting, so I picked this up again and checked it out. I had no idea what it was about.

Sometimes I loved it. Sometimes I hated it. Sometimes I wondered why certain paragraphs were included at all. Now having finished it, I think I get what it was supposed to mean.

It's a huge stretch to say this character would spend so much time and energy researching when she hasn't even finished reading yet. It's like stopping halfway through a movie to run out and search the library for what happens next. The entire book, the character of Ruth (she wrote herself in as a character? By the end I wonder if this was another layer) makes no sense. And then she does. I think.

There are some horrifying scenes and subjects in this book I wasn't prepared for. I got emotional at times. Sometimes I talked out loud to the book, responding to it. Sometimes I just wondered what the point was. And then we got to the point and I don't know what to feel about it. Anyway I'd read it again. I might have to.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Rape, and Bullying

nkmustdie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Animal death, Cancer, Death of parent, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Torture, Vomit, War, Body shaming, Bullying, Dementia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Body horror, and Death

Moderate: Torture, Vomit, War, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Chronic illness, Cancer, Body shaming, Rape, Violence, Death, Animal death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Medical content, Sexual content, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Suicide, Racism, and Racial slurs

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Cancer, Classism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Child death, Chronic illness, Child abuse, Excrement, and Terminal illness

nishalovesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

TW: Many references of self harm and suicide 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Rape

saltysnails's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

sdramm's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, and Suicide attempt

rey_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective relaxing 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? Yes

4.75

i loved so much of this book. Nao was such a great character with a really distinctive narrative voice.  i am both impressed by & appreciative of Ozeki’s ability to cover so many difficult themes so thoughtfully and sensitively whilst maintaining an engaging narrative and realistic characters.   and it was funny! which is difficult for a book so heavily centred on suicide and war. the incorporation of a zen buddhist perspective and the running theme of time were personal highlights.
it began to loose me toward the end of the book and honestly i was neither expecting nor entirely satisfied with the final Ruth chapters

especially the quantum stuff & the breakdown of reader/ writer - i think i would’ve enjoyed the book more had the final chapters never gone there, just because before that all discussion of time & emotion felt so realistic that this kind of left me feeling let down.

still, i’ll be thinking about Nao and Jiko for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Rape, Suicide attempt, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Bullying

Minor: Dementia

signeskov's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Bullying

Moderate: War

w0rmonastring's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Dementia and Death of parent

Minor: Trafficking, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

sglance9's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, War, Death, Violence, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide, Dementia, and Vomit

Minor: Rape

wytherwytch's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.75

Really enjoyed this book. The whole things with words disappearing was a little weird but I still really enjoyed it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Death, Dementia, War, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Alcohol