Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

24 reviews

alexisgarcia'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

i really enjoyed this. Clytemnestra's storyline and perspective was by far the best in my opinion. Elektra's storyline, while connecting the characters and giving us a new perspective, was a little lackluster at times. if not for that i would have enjoyed this even more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Blood, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, War, Grief, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, and Violence

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

4.0

I liked the writing style of this book and I thought the events (that I already know) were told well, I just didn't care about some of the povs and I thought the ending was a bit underwhelming. Still a good overall story 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Murder, Animal cruelty, Child death, Violence, War, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Rape

kaitlyng's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, War, Blood, Grief, Death, Violence, and Infidelity

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Child death, Animal death, and Cannibalism

Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.25

Many thanks to Headline Audio and Jennifer Saint for the advanced audio copy of Elektra via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel. 

Disclaimer: the negative slant on the audio perspective is largely due to my misophonia. I have an intense dislike for ‘mouth noises’. Audible swallowing, smacking noises, general un-edited auditory mouth *stuff* really gets to me and put me off this audiobook. 

Elektra follows an interesting retelling of the Trojan war, from some of the key women’s point of view. Jennifer Saint has woven in figures of myth and legend along with those of flesh and blood with a matter-of-fact-ness, which isn’t seen as often in this type of retellings. Often in this type of story there is a veil of supernatural syrup, a ‘playing with the gods’ tale. But this story felt much more solid. This is told in a more ‘this is real life’ sort of way. And real life just happened to have the occasional god, or demi god, walking around in it. As you do. 

I suspect that ‘Elektra’ was not Saint’s original title of choice, as she was not the protagonist of the book. But as Clytemnestra was already taken this season, it would have to do. Perhaps a different title may have suited the story better, however. 

The narrators suited the individual characters well. However, I found it extremely difficult to get into the story as, after the first three chapters, they did not announce the character at the beginning of the chapter, instead expecting the listener to have already memorised the narrator’s voice. Unfortunately I’m not that good and I was confused, and annoyed. And as my misophonia had me well and truly distracter, I almost stopped listening at this point. Eventually I got the hang of who was who, and got into the story. It definitely took me a while, though. 

Overall, the story was interesting. It was perhaps a bit over-long for my taste. I hope there is a final edit to smooth out the ‘mouth noises’ for future listeners’ enjoyment! 

Spice: 1/5 

Trigger warnings: Animal death, Blood/Gore, Cheating, Death, Death of a family member, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self Harm, Sexism, Sexual abuse/assault/harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, War 

Rating 

Story: 3.5/5 

Audio: 3/5 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, War, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Blood, Suicide, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Gore, Animal death, Sexism, Death of parent, and Self harm

vixenreader's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

If you love Greek Mythology, especially about the Trojan War, you will love this one. However, you may be lost if you have not heard of the Trojan War or the Orestia. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Grief, Death of parent, Death, War, and Gore

Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Alcohol

Minor: Kidnapping, Vomit, and Incest

This book will cut at anyone who has a bitter relationship with their parents, especially with their mothers.

wreathedinviolets's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I get the intentions of this book but I wanted another Circe and this had significantly less life to it. I wasn’t sure why Cassandra’s POV is included, since it didn’t seem to add much? I think it would’ve been better suited to the narrative to have only Elektra’s POV since she had the most interesting parts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Animal death

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

I believe in Clytemnestra supremacy. Retitle the book in her namesake, I implore you.

Jennifer Saint is a very talented writer, and knows how to weave a story in a way that is both enthralling and poetic. I loved the style of multiple narrators in <i> Ariadne</i>, and the style is utilised to good effect in this book as well. 

However, the book, while not boring, did become very monotonous. Especially considering that for the most part, the three narrators weren’t directly involved in the central events of the Trojan war: it came across as detached and in some ways simply a recounting of events rather than a perspective (with perhaps the marked exception of Cassandra’s point of view). What made this book was the building of tension, expectation, excitement for a justified vengeful climax. 
The culmination of the majority of the book, the scene which was meant to release the tension built up the entire novel, was over so quickly. It didn’t feel particularly satisfying, and then you had to read on for another hundred pages of Elektra ruminating and marinating in her venom.

On that note, Cassandra was killed off halfway through, and Elektra was just acting like an irrational brat which made her point of view extremely agitating to get through; leaving only Clytemnestra’s account which was the best anyway - so in conclusion this is a Clytemnestra stan account. 

I will never say no to a Jennifer Saint book, because they’re always interesting, always wonderfully written and always enjoyable. But if I’m honest, I wish this one hadn’t dragged as long as it did; perhaps the pacing would’ve been more optimal if it was 50 pages shorter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Kidnapping, Child death, Murder, Misogyny, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

hmatt's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I really like the way this author writes women's voices, and I think it particularly suits this sub-genre of Greek myth retellings. I hope they continue to write in this genre and I will happily pick up whatever comes next.

That said, I didn't find this retelling quite as compelling as I've found others. Cassandra is the only one of the three POV characters who is arguably likeable at all, which is definitely intentional, but also it did impact my reading. It was a struggle for me to empathize at all, really, with the other two. I also wasn't quite convinced by the choice to just narrate from these three specific characters. Elektra and Clytemnestra make sense but, again, Cassandra is a bit of a random pick/stretch for me. It felt like it was a choice made deliberately so that this book wasn't too similar to A Thousand Ships - which, honestly, read that before you read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, War, Grief, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Confinement, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Genocide

Minor: Animal death

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

3.75

Clytemnestra’s story is one which has always intrigued me; therefore, I was beyond excited to read another retelling of it. What I had expected to be a portrayal of feminine rage quickly transformed into a moving work on motherhood and loss, relevant today while staying true to its historic orgins.
Elektra follows the titular character Elektra as well as her mother Clytemnestra and the Trojan priestess Casandra as their lives intersect in unimaginable ways.
Saint humanizes these characters in a unique yet tasteful manner, resulting in a a complex narrative. The continuous metaphor of a curse/circular pattern connects all three women deeper than surface level. 
One aspect to know prior to reading is that Elektra is not the sole narrator, and many times is given less of a speaking role than the other women. It is particularly short read (though pretty dense) and I would have loved to read a bit more in certain areas.
Overall, I would recommend to any fans of Greek Mythology from a feminist perspective, though definitely check trigger warnings before reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Gore, Slavery, Rape, War, Incest, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Suicide

booksandteatime's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, War, Animal death, and Death