Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

33 reviews

aparker89's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

Ahhh! Ms Henry has done it again! Damn! I'm shook!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Physical abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Rape, Blood, Child abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Misogyny, Sexual content, Torture, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infertility, Murder, Death of parent, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Sexism

sabrinz's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.5

The story starts with a young woman living at the top of a mountin in an isolated cabin with her husband. She stumbles upon a killed fox that raises some alarm bells, her husband, however, dismisses the fox initially and is more than angry with her for dallying in checking the snares - the task he had set for her.
As we follow Mattie and discover that her husband is far, far from loving and caring and that there is more to the dead fox - a huge beast roaming the mountaintop that will draw people and endanger the isolation William, Mattie's husband has created.

The story is quite gripping and the tension is high throughout. In addition to the monster, the story of how Mattie (and William) came to be on this mountain top is shown as well, picking up on important topics of blame and guilt along the way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexism, Confinement, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, Blood, and Sexual violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Vomit, and Animal death

cyris_reads's review

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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Gaslighting, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Violence, Slavery, Rape, Miscarriage, and Domestic abuse

tailor_goblin's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Gore

Moderate: Miscarriage and Sexual violence

leilawoodhouse's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Quite sad I didn't like this! I felt like there was too much going on. The William storyline, the creature, the 3 explorers. I thought they didn't really blend very well. I also thought the characters (mainly the Jen, Griffin and C.P) were a bit 2 dimensional

I thought that Jen and Griffin's deaths were unnecessary. I didn't see what,  especially Jen's, deaths added to the plot apart from showing that the monster was protective of its baby. I thought Griffin was built up quite a bit only for him to be killed quite soon after. The monster was never really explained either. Where did it come from? Why is it here? What is it? In another book that may have added to the mystery and given the world depth but in this book it just seemed rushed.

The ending was so abrupt for me!

we hear alot about Heather but then nothing really happens at the end

I think the creature and the William storyline would have stood much better individually. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Violence, Animal death, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Torture, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use, Death of parent, and Animal death

hardella's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This was a fun read. It was pretty dark but the creature on the middle of the woods and trying to survive the woods was an interesting concept and twist on the traditional true crime thriller. I liked the main character and was excited to see her journey. I felt like this book rushed the ending though and left some important parts of the characters arc out. Like

what happened to her sister??

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

mandi_lea's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Gore, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

sydneythekydneybean's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

4.5 terror-inducing stars ⭐

Samantha has always, will always be that final girl. Not only dealing with and battling physical danger at every turn but also dismantling the mental distress she has been forced to endure for over a decade. I loved piecing together her story and watching her becoming something new, not totally Samantha, not totally Mattie. I don't think that the creatures in the woods were as fleshed out as they could have been. I understand their necessity from the plot narratively, but other than as a plot point, I'm not totally sold as to why they are in the story. I always felt a true sense of fear and anxiety from William, always watching, stalking and waiting for the right time to strike, but I didn't feel that way from the creatures.

But, the creatures in the woods, are on the lowest tier of why this book worked for me. For me, the other characters in the story (besides William, but that should be obvious) were so endearing to me that even though they were only introduced halfway through the story and we didn't spend a ton of time with them, the time I did spend with them they dug their way so deep into my heart,

I felt like I was more distraught by Griffin's and Jen's death than C.P.

In another life, Griffin, Jen, C.P., and Samantha all escaped William and the monsters in the forest and lived happily ever after as the best of friends, Mattie finding a family in these strangers who showed up in her forest one day and refused to leave her behind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Body horror, Blood, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Violence, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Infertility, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Confinement and Grief

Minor: Miscarriage and Sexual violence

batcaves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Violence

jet_nebula's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Child abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Sexual violence