Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark

93 reviews

olivia_k_wood's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Death

erinlaura's review against another edition

3.75

3.75⭐️ 

Warning, a couple spoilers lie ahead, but honestly, nothing much beyond what would have been listed in a list of trigger warnings if this book, y’know, had one. 

I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. I’ve read a few dark romances before that have been really solid, where usually one or both main characters do or have done bad things for some reason that’s explainable or justifiable, especially in the context of fiction. This is not one of those books. The MMC is a serial killer because he - get this - likes killing people, and the FMC is into him despite him leaving her for dead in the woods because she had ✨childhood trauma✨. No, seriously. This guy seems to be actively aware that he’s a bad person and doesn’t care for the wellbeing of others. He repeatedly reminds us that he does only things that bring him pleasure, and will literally do whatever he feels like doing. 

Despite all this I found myself morbidly curious about the plot and what was going to happen next. I was fascinated, and couldn’t bring myself to look away, even though the MMC, his “rival”, and the main “relationship” were seriously disturbing. I was definitely entertained in more of a thriller/horror kind of way than a romance. 

Lastly, for someone who seems so traumatized by her (objectively terrible) childhood, she really seems to bounce back fast from all the terrible things that happen to her throughout the course of this book. 

Also, PSA for any of you KU girlies, the cover with the snakes is the only one I had ever seen, and the one that's listed on KU, but when I used the very convenient "mark as currently reading" kindle feature, it set my goodreads edition to the "half-naked couple clinging to one another" cover

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Gore, Confinement, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Bullying, Body shaming, and Self harm

The FMC gets kidnapped by the MMC's rival, is tortured by him, and left to die in the woods so that the MMC will find her and be tempted to kill her. Instead he leaves her for dead. It's super graphic, and then she just breezes past it. So, PSA

colbyreads's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Blood

_serena_'s review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

I think this is the first "dark romance" type book that I've enjoyed.

I liked the artistic description in this book - the intensity of Mara working on her pieces. I loved her strong will. I can't stand when the FMC finally gets the man and instantly becomes a watered down version of herself. I don't think this happened to Mara at all. I think she really stepped into herself as the story progressed. She didn't feel weaker at the end.

The serial killer aspect was cool and fun to work with. I would like to know more about Cole and Shaw's kills. I want their methodology. I know Cole must be cold and calculating, insane attention to detail. I want to know his process, his justification. 

I'm interested to see where this story goes in the second one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, Blood, Death, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicide, and Torture

zyahlove24's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

I really love this book and this was the first book where I actually listen to the playlist while I was reading certain pages and I loved that each chapter had its own song. I love that so much it makes me feel like I’m more in the book which I absolutely loved and some of the chapters was so good, and I loved the love the loved the illustrations in every other chapter and I can’t wait to read the second book. The only thing is I feel like this remind me of haunting Adeline and I don’t know how to feel about that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Rape, and Self harm

manimick's review against another edition

Too dark and honestly crazy. There were no TW in the beginning of the book so it was just jarring and the characters were obviously not lovable. It was ridiculous that I only got a third of the book through all seem too much lmao

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Torture, Gore, Stalking, and Kidnapping

Minor: Self harm

shasta2292's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Sexual violence, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Murder, Kidnapping, Self harm, Pedophilia, Violence, and Toxic relationship

beckyremillard's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

sshpurple1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Bullying, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Gaslighting, Self harm, Addiction, Drug use, Sexism, Alcoholism, and Sexual content

kennedy_fontenot's review against another edition

dark lighthearted tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Murder

Moderate: Stalking

Minor: Self harm