Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

231 reviews

mamaofperfectpayton's review

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challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.25

I should have read the content warnings before reading this. I had no idea what to expect, but I’m glad I powered through. This was such a sad and difficult story but so well written.
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anaheeta's review against another edition

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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

4.5

Quite a short read, the author managed to use a powerfully imaginative and crafty metaphor to describe a really difficult subject. 


“The truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen, it whispered in her mind. A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not. And yes, maybe it is easier not to look. Maybe it is easier to say because you do not see it, it is not happening. Maybe you can pull the stone out of the pool and put the moon back together.” 
(There were too many incredible quotes to choose from)

This book really left me heartbroken. It is powerfully written, the story and pacing is gripping and makes you read it in one day, the characters are very diverse, and the setting is in a futuristic utopia of sorts. 
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jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-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

5.0

Phenomenal. Breathtaking. So well done. I love Pet and I love Jam.
I feel so bad for moss, poor baby. I was freaking out in the actual chills. Be not afraid, it was literally foreshadowing
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ebp's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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erinnicolecreads's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

This book was a good quick read! It touches upon some important social commentary while also discussing heavy topics in a way that is friendly for younger readers to digest. A POC, trans, neurodivergent protagonist tackling the issue of abuse and protecting their friend. It reads more middle grade in terms of writing rather than YA, but given the triggers it mentions, I don’t know if it’s appropriate for middle grade kids. Nonetheless, was a good book and I enjoyed how it tackled heavy topics & was inclusive! 
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draven_deathcrush's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

I LOVED THIS BOOK! It was quick and even though the topics were hard, it wasn't overwhelming. I usually stay away from books with heavy triggers like this, but it luckily wasn't graphic. For the most part, the book was very heartwarming and just great with the message it was sending. 
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honeycupreads's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

The truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen, it whispered in her mind. A thing that is happening happens whether you look at it or not. And yes, maybe it is easier not to look. Maybe it is easier to say because you do not see it, it is not happening.

Wow… This book packs such a punch in so little pages… This book is so heavy and will truly leave you at a loss of words. Complacency and its negative effects are depicted so well in this novel it tears you open. What we choose not to see when it comes to those we know and love and how that effects not only those close to us but also the world we live in. I cannot fully explain how wonderful this book is. 
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queerafictionado's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish who is a monster and who is an angel. Because looks can be deceiving, and our interpretation and perception is always influenced by the world and people around us. 

In this story, Jam accidentally brings a creature to life from her mom’s painting. A monstrous looking creature not of this world. And its name is Pet. By looks alone, it is something we would be told to fear. Something we would be told is a monster. But Pet came to hunt monsters. The monsters the world doesn’t realize still exist. Monsters that don’t look monstrous. I loved the juxtaposition of these things in the story, the way Emezi took concepts of monsters and angels and presented them in this unexpected way. It really got me thinking about things like transphobia and homophobia, namely the “phobia” parts of those words. And how trans* and queer people have been painted by the world as something to be feared, while the real monsters remain hidden, protected by power, privilege, and politics.

Emezi poignantly addressed heavy topics in this book. Using magical realism, they crafted a story that speaks to the nature and reality of our world, to the existence of monsters hidden in plain sight, to what it takes to uncover the truth, and to take those monsters down. It was an absolutely brilliant book and we need more stories like this in our world! 

I am also very glad I listened to the audiobook of this because Christopher Myers did a phenomenal job bringing this story and all these characters to life!

🏳️‍🌈✊🏿Rep: black trans FMC with selective mutism, black SCs
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tyra16572's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

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kelsiepixler's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? No

5.0

I read this book to see if it was appropriate for a classroom library only to end up hooked. This is just as much a book for adults as it is for kids. As the book highlights, as adults the idea of “You think you see everything, so you think everything you see is all there is to be seen” becomes ingrained in a way that is extremely easy to not reflect upon. This book very artfully dove into very heavy, intense topics in a way that was reflective and introspective without being heavy-handed or overly traumatic. 
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