Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

92 reviews

kell_xavi's review against another edition

5.0

The wholly original fantasy series starts with a novel of three narratives that link to tell a partial recent history and present of a world where natural disasters coupled with magics of earth and stone shape the lives of all who live there. In one segment, the story has a form similar to the walled village and desperate journey of Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower; in one, a young girl begins training in an oppressive arcane academic; in the third, two bitter strangers begin a quest that enriches and reveals more than anticipated.

Very good writing, complex and engrossing parallel plot lines, unique characters, interesting politics and world-building.  I'll reserve judgment otherwise until I've read the rest of the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Bullying and Classism

Minor: Cannibalism

biobeetle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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: Child death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Grief, and Abandonment

wordpuncher's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse and War

bergha1998's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.25

Wow this book is genius, and we’ll written too. I’m mind blown and so excited to see where the series goes. Loved the complexities of the MCs. Overall, it was super well done and so interesting. 

Multi POV, Excellent World Building, 1 🔥

“But then, how can they? Who misses what they have never, ever even imagined? That would not be human nature. How fortunate, then, that there are more people in this world than just humankind.”

“He refuses to allow her any of the polite fictions and unspoken truths that have kept her comfortable, and safe, for years.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

bezarue's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Feels weird to give 5 stars to a book that if I had to describe the feeling it gave me in one word it would be 'unsettled'. This book is so creepy and so unlike anything I've read before. I enjoyed all the plot twists

I guessed that Damaya and Syen were the same person but I wasn't sure about Essun and I definitely didn't guess about Tonkee.

I'm kind of obsessed with Alabaster I think? In an Andrew Minyard kind of way. This was DARK and I feel vaguely sort of watched, now that I've finished it. We love a morally grey cast of characters. It was also at times horrifically sad but always in a way that leaned more on the horror than the sadness. I just want Essun to find Nassun. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying and Violence

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

atomicrobin's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

gandalf_a's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

Wow. I didn't really know what to expect from this book other than I had heard much praise for it. I wasn't prepared for it to be that good ! I don't really know how to express how in love I am with this story.

First, I want to say I really liked Jemisin's writing style and the characters' cynicism (especially Syenite's). The second person narration in some of the chapters didn't bother me at all, on the contrary, if found it to be a nice change and also helped me feel closer to the main character.

Talking about characters, I found them all really great, as well as their dynamics. For example, Syenite and Alabaster don't have the kind of romance you might expect in a subplot but their bond takes another, nonetheless strong, form. I applaud Jemisin for risking the unconventional and doing it so well.
Speaking about the unconventional... the world and magic system ! I admire how unique and thoroughly researched it was. Jemisin really succeeded to make me interested in geology 😂.
The three POVs served the mysterious aspect of the story perfectly as it allowed the author to lead the reader step by step (or should I say hint by hint) to the reveals.

(I do want to add that I don't know why I find the cover so mesmerising but I just do... anyone else ?)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Sexual content, Torture, and Pregnancy

f18's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Slavery, Blood, Medical trauma, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Vomit, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

unwanted pregnancy

emeraldrina's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

Wow this book was incredibly put together. The way the story unfolds and all comes together at the end is so detailed and intricate and glorious. The world is dark and fascinating and a joy to discover as you read. I was very skeptical about the 2nd person POV at first but I’m so glad I kept reading! The writing is amazing, I love the style and humor and even the little ways Jemisin uses formatting to shape the tone of characters’ thoughts. And I love Syenite so much!! She’s such a badass. I can’t wait to continue the series!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Pregnancy

delphinaris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

what the fuck, like actually. There's genuinely so many different moving pieces to this book. I have so many questions, just like, wow. I fucking called it that all POVs were the same person, I knew it. Also Syenite pissed me off so much, like it was just one stupid move after the other. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

This book is majorly fucked up; especially the scenes in the Fulcrum. Read at your own risk.