Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

25 reviews

tmickey's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Trafficking

Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

dazzy's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

this is very good quality stuff, but too much for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, War, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Gore, Infertility, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Grief

risaleel's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Slavery, Sexual harassment, War, Child death, Violence, Death, Excrement, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Confinement, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Torture

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, and Vomit

nats2643's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• 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: Sexual violence, War, Torture, Self harm, Death, Sexual harassment, Rape, Violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, Murder, Suicide, and Grief

jnichols's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, Slavery, Child death, Self harm, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Medical content, Domestic abuse, and Death

ok7a's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, War, Grief, Slavery, Kidnapping, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death

Minor: Pregnancy and Self harm

sapphicpenguin's review against another edition

4.0

SO much potential. A very present, hard story, that definitely captures the spirit of the Iliad as well as bringing you closer to the pain of women in war. I love the parallel of Helen and Briseis—I've always felt they occupy similar places in the narrative. Briseis's story is so unexplored, and it was so lovely to get her perspective. Quite enjoyed it, but did have some issues.

I didn't like some of the punctuation/format choices, and especially at the beginning a lot of the language felt cliche. After every mediocre sentence, though, was a paragraph that blew me away, so I couldn't dislike the writing. 

My main issue was how much of the book—a first-person POV book, too!—didn't center Briseis. This book is from her perspective, marketed itself on being her story—and yet multiple chapters don't include her. It felt like the author just felt we would be too bored without some of Achilles's story as well—but doesn't that defeat the point? Of course that's the issue you run into—all the exciting bits of the Iliad happen with zero women present, that's the challenge of a retelling centering women. It just didn't feel like the author completely overcame the urge to just write a story about Achilles and Patroclus.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Alcohol, Excrement, Physical abuse, War, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child death, Grief, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Self harm

Minor: Cannibalism, Infertility, and Miscarriage

The worst/most violent of the sexual assault is skipped over, but it is very present. The aftermath is discussed.

unlikelyplaces's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide and Self harm

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

It is very sexual and has so much rape in it. I realize that’s because it is a retelling of the Trojan War, but I did not like this. It is cruel. 

However, the writing, while not my cup of tea, is quite good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Genocide, Alcohol, Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Self harm, Infidelity, Gore, Child death, Slavery, Suicide, and War