Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

90 reviews

lizziaha's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I really love the way that N.K. Jemisin introduces characters. Like, we see each character at face value and then slowly uncover more about them. It feels more realistic than the way some other books do characterization. And it makes the characters feel so much more likable, even when they make questionable decisions. The world-building is done in the same way, which works really well for me. And the raw emotion of it all is really moving. I think that all apocalypse stories have a lot to say about grief, but as you see all three of the plotlines ultimately converge around it, it becomes so impactful. 
I’m curious to see how the next book is structured! I’m not sure it even can be structured the same, but i’m interested to see how the differences will change the reading experience. I’m not always a fan of multi-pov but this one was so delicious that i fear nothing can top it.
also—don’t even get me started of the allegory of it all. masterful!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal death, Transphobia, Cannibalism, and Dysphoria

language_loving_amateur's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

Very good; it will certainly stay with me. It is a lot to handle, and I need a breather before the next book. But also so much happens, I kind of want a plot summary and a detailed character sheet. Very heavy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

chantellimus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

I’m so conflicted with how I feel about this book 🤣 I think I liked it but I wouldn’t rate it 5 stars because I found it to be so so slow until about 60% where it picked up for me. I was so so confused at the start but I still found myself wanting to read on?? The writing was dense and the POVs didn’t start to make sense until something was revealed later on, in which others may had already picked up on. The writer trusts the reader to make their deductions along with the characters but I think I’m not smart enough for this book so I was confused and wished the answer to some deductions were laid out clearly for me in some way - but this is personal preference and not a criticism of the book. Themes of race, morality, identity, indoctrination and the extent one achieves their goals,  were explored. 

Unique fantasy world and magic system with intriguing writing and structure. I’m just glad I’ve read it cause it was on my shelf for so long and everyone raves about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief

zsabella's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

nk jemisin is sooo good at hooking readers with loads of mystery and intrigue that gradually introduces us to the world of the stillness. I adore a slow burn world-building atmosphere when it’s written this well! there are intense scenes and character revelations in this that will live in my mind for a while. but personally, this felt like reading a vividly told, heartbreaking prologue of what’s to come in the sequels, so my low rating is a reflection of me being impatient with the plot lines converging in the last few chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Violence, and Classism

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

elsa_lectora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a second re-read for me. I should have remembered that now it's not the best time to do so (see trigger warning). But this still is an amazing book. Three points of view, a girl, a young girl and a mature woman, slowly entangling one with the other. A thrilling worldbuilding, with pieces of a perfect puzzle inexorably falling into place. The need to know more of the story... 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

blegborgberg's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

tangledweb65's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was a challenging book to read, and I found it slightly slow to start, but GOD it was worth it. One of those books you finish and immediately reach for the next in the trilogy. I absolutely admire the style of storytelling she manages to achieve, and how she makes the characters such normal people while being so completely not. Absolutely amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Deportation

Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, Excrement, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

epbuckley89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing, Genocide, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

sakiido's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism