Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

13 reviews

kal517's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Homophobia and Drug use

Minor: Kidnapping

therainbowshelf's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I don't know how to review this. I feel like I didn't enjoy it as much as it deserves, though I did enjoy it. I couldn't fully get into Andrew or Sam as characters, so even though the writing was good and I enjoyed the story overall (other than a few things that needed a bit more development toward the end), I feel so-so on it. I also don't love atmospheric books, and this was very atmospheric. This came to me from Rainbow Crate Book Box.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, Sexual content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia, Torture, Alcoholism, Murder, Confinement, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Death of parent

Internalized homophobia

laguerrelewis's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

This book is oozing in atmosphere. Lee Mandelo has a way of describing things that cuts right to the heart of the image, transporting you into the story. This skill is employed to great effect in this creepy, tragic southern gothic. A story about haunting, inheritance, personhood, and love in all its fucked up forms, this is a great tale to raise the hair on your neck an leave you with a lot to consider.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Cursing, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Sexual content, Classism, Gore, Death, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia

theoldestbennetsister's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

Goddamn 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Grief, Gore, Alcohol, and Blood

Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Racism, Violence, Classism, Vomit, Suicide, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Body horror, and Child abuse

Minor: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Cancer, Child death, Animal death, Car accident, and Kidnapping

bootsmom3's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Racism, Self harm, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Vomit and Slavery

fanboyriot's review

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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

5.0

Read For:
Ghosts
Chaotic Gays
Spooky Fantasy
Dark Academia
Fast Cars and Stupid Decisions

I read a review that said this was like a gay fever dream and that sums up a lot of it.  The supernatural elements and the overall eerie atmosphere were really lovely.  It was well written, however, the romance was kind of meh at first, by the end of the book it was better but it just felt like there could have been more development with Andrew and Sam.  Overall, the ending was nice and I would definitely re-read this again.
 

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)

Release Date: 28, September 2021

POV: Third Person

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Rep: Achillean MC, Trans Character, Queer Characters, Polyamorous MMF, BIPOC SC, MC with Anxiety

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Cursing, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Death, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Violence, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Racism, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Transphobia, Sexism, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Biphobia, Religious bigotry, and Misogyny

bookenbee's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Body horror, Suicide, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Cursing, Classism, Animal death, Colonisation, Homophobia, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gore, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Drug use

Minor: Toxic friendship, Animal death, Racism, and Alcohol

aus10england's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I can’t say I’ve ever read a book like this before! It was quite a slow paced read, with some little points of excitement throughout until it all comes together at the end. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit

foreverinastory's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-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? Yes

4.5

What a ride.

Rep: white achillean-questioning male MC with anxiety, white queer male love interest, white queer polyamorous trans male side character, various queer coded side characters, Black male side character (sexuality not indicated).

CWs: Suicide, death, blood, grief, murder, drug use (smoking and snorting), violence, body horror (including haunting/possession), gore, alcohol consumption, homophobia/homomisia, sexual content, injury/injury detail, vomit, panic attacks, self-harm, cursing, racism (systemic and interpersonal), drug abuse, alcoholism, torture, toxic relationship, toxic friendship. Moderate: confinement, kidnapping, mental illness, death of parent, animal death, biphobia/bimisia, car accident, medical content/trauma, suicidal thought, suicide attempt, psychosis, cancer, fire, transphobia/transmisia, terminal illness. Minor: mentions of slavery. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Torture, Toxic friendship, Blood, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Death, Murder, Suicide, Grief, Drug use, Violence, Drug abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Homophobia, Alcohol, Vomit, and Self harm

Moderate: Death of parent, Animal death, Cancer, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Medical trauma

Minor: Slavery

_ayden's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Death of parent