Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

37 reviews

rb5373's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

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

4.5

The writing was mesmerizingly beautiful, the world-building was fantastic and intriguing, the characters were very interesting and lovely, and the plot was slow but with good payoff. And that ending! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Sexual content

sukidookie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

The writing style of this book was visually enriching and seriously drew me in. It was easy to relate to a main character who is always reading books and has his head in the clouds. It was fascinating watching him grow from a peasant into a mysterious God, and I'm already itching to read the next book in the series. The characters had consistent personalities and were uniquely different from each other. I was invested in the lore and the fantastical mythology because it was directly related to both the main character and the setting. I thought the discussion on racism and trauma was well done, and I desperately want to see Weep become something like the city Lazlo dreamed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Racism, and Violence

traceyanderson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious relaxing sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Genocide, Sexual content, and Violence

genny's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

Oh man, I'm not sure why I didn't like this as much as other people did. I felt pretty neutral about the whole thing. I think it was overly long...I listened to the audiobook and it felt like it took forever to finish even though not much was happening. My mind would keep wandering, then I'd refocus on the book only to find that the story hadn't even progressed much. The writing is beautiful so maybe I would've appreciated this more if I read it physically. My lack of anything to say just reaffirms my decision not to read the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual content and Grief

maeverose's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

Things I liked:
The story was fun. The writing is super pretty and atmospheric. So many quotes i wanted to highlight. It was very easy for me to imagine what was being described, and i loved that. I like Lazlo a lot as a character. I like anything to do with dreams so I loved that that was a big part of the story.

Things I didn’t like:
Sarai’s chapters/the citadel chapters felt super repetitive, at least in the beginning. I was often pretty bored during those chapters. As much as I love the writing, it is overwritten at times. I think this book should’ve been about 100 pages shorter, the pacing is very slow for most of it. Also the reveals were pretty predictable but I guess that’s not super surprising for YA. It’s also very instalove. Very mild spoilers for this next part (it doesn’t have to do with the main romance, just side characters): I didn’t like the non consensual kiss played off as funny because it was a girl doing it to a guy. If the roles were reversed I don’t think it would’ve gone down the same… It’s still sexual assault no matter who’s doing it. And then when it happens again later it was still very dubious consent at first. Idk it made me feel gross.

I hate everything about that ending. I hate minya so much. Please tell me she dies a painful death in the next book. And that sparrow is able to bring sarai back to her body with her powers and then sarai and lazlo get to live happily ever after. If that doesn’t happen I’m suing. /j

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Blood, Child death, Death, Rape, Slavery, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Gore, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

There was frequent mention of female fertility and ‘becoming a woman’ once you bleed. Personally it made me uncomfortable, as an afab non binary person with zero desire to ever get pregnant.

quasinaut's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.75

I bounced off this book a few years ago, but I'm so glad I came back to it. The first quarter of the book, though beautifully written and necessary to ground the story, is definitely slower! Once the journey truly starts, I was caught up in this fascinating and devastating story. I love the value placed on storytelling and fairy tales, the exploration of grief and vengeance, the combination of practical and mystical.

I can't wait to read Muse of Nightmares -- while also scared at how much it will destroy me!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Rape, and Pregnancy

cookiecat73's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Genocide, Murder, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Minor: Pregnancy and Misogyny

maddiebusick's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Trafficking, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Slavery

bethy_joy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Slavery

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

this book doesnt totally click w/ me. idk if it's the plot--or lack thereof--or what, but there's something missing. so it's rly a testament to laini's vivid, seemingly boundless imagination; impeccable and wholly original worldbuilding; her ability to make the simple seem magical and extraordinary; thought-provoking and emotional exploration of hatred, love, survival, living, horrors and trauma of war; her writing that is pure poetry; and--though it's too sweet and toe-curling for my taste--the tenderness and longing and hope infused between sarai and lazlo, that strange the dreamer nevertheless gets 4 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship