Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

30 reviews

jahoffie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual assault

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

 For the fantastical elements, this still gets right at the heart of greed, power dynamics, sexism, and freedom. So realistic in its depiction of the rotten hearts and minds of some men. But not without its tenderness and care in others. Interesting reading about David and the mermaid finding their footing (pun intended) and figuring out power dynamics between the two of them in his house. I was disappointed how quickly she lost her "mermaidness" but that dissolved as the novel went on. But it did end on an exciting note, all things considered. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

R****d ableist slur

dannilmp's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Not a book I would have normally picked up, but chose for Storygraph's read around the world challenge 2023. A story about a mermaid and her encounter with humans on Black Conch. While there were elements of the story I found difficult to read, such as the mermaid's poetry or the way speech dialogue was written; I found these reflected both the mermaid's lack of understanding of language and the speech helped to immerse me into the setting of the story. 

While this was a relatively shorter book compared to those I usually read, I felt the pacing of this book to be quite slow and the pages seemed a lot more than what they were. I found myself only being able to read a chapter at a time before needing to take a break. However, there was a beautiful story to be told throughout these pages and one that certainly got me thinking and reflecting on human behaviour, specifically those negative emotions of jealousy and hatred. 

Not a book I would reread but it was certainly worth a read to broaden my horizons to the other types of literature out there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

lyssylyssy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Blood, Grief, and Alcohol

pkc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

laurahartfield's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

plantgal_jill's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Excrement, and Suicide attempt

rosalind's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Colonisation

Moderate: Ableism, Cursing, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

julesandjude's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.0

Kurzweiliger Roman über eine Meerjungfrau und das Erbe des Kolonialismus in der Karibik

"Die Meerjungfrau von Black Conch" erzählt die Geschichte von Aycayia, einer jungen Frau, die wegen ihrer Schönheit dazu verflucht wurde, eine Meerjungfrau zu sein. Eines Tages wird sie von amerikanischen Fischern vor der fiktiven Karibikinsel Black Conch gefangen genommen. Wie Trophäenjäger machen die Männer Fotos mit ihr; sie empfinden eine Mischung aus Abscheu und sexueller Anziehung. Ist sie ein Fisch oder ein Objekt der Begierde? In der jüngeren Vergangenheit erinnert sich David Baptiste in seinen Tagebuchaufzeichnungen an die folgenden Ereignisse. Er hielt Aycayia zunächst in seiner Badewanne, wo sie nach und nach ihren Meerjungfrauschwanz verliert und sich wieder in eine Frau zurückverwandelt.

Das Setting des Romans in der Karibik und die Geschichte rund um eine Meerjungfrau haben mein Interesse geweckt, jedoch die Umsetzung konnte mich nicht wirklich überzeugen. Einerseits erzählt der Roman eine relativ einfache Geschichte, die sowohl spezifisch für die Geschichte der Karibik steht als auch eine universelle Wahrheit über die Fähigkeit der Menschen zu tiefer Liebe und die Fähigkeit, einander tiefe Narben zuzufügen, enthält. Andererseits fiel die Geschichte rund um die Hauptfigur und ihre Liebesbeziehung ziemlich flach. Auch fehlten den handelnden Personen in ihrer Charakterisierung an Tiefe und ihre Darstellung war teilweise ziemlich stereotyphaft. Zudem musste ich mich zunächst an den Schreibstil des Buches gewöhnen, da Teile des Textes im lokalen Dialekt und in Gedichtform geschrieben sind.

Eine kurzweilig erzählte Geschichte über eine Meerjungfrau, die das Thema Kolonialismus und Rassismus behandelt, aber auch nicht viel mehr.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Sexual content

rebeccajost's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Body horror, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement and Alcohol

Minor: Genocide, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, and Slavery