Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

110 reviews

fmooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow wow wow. This book was an emotional read that showed the complex human experience that we can imagine these characters would've had. From grief, jealousy, cruelty to shame, guilt and love. 

Somehow Kiran Millwood Hargrave made me hate specific characters and then cry for them in the end. 

While this novel is about the Vardo Witch Trials, it focused more on the conditions that could lead to a Witch Trial in this remote area of Finnmark in the first place - rather than the trials themselves. This book really dug into familial relationships, relationships within a small community, and how all of that is impacted by grief. 

I did think that the ending was slightly rushed. I see what the author was trying to do with how they wrapped it up but it left me slightly dissatisfied. That didn't take away from my 5* rating though. At one point I was laying in bed, reading, crying (lol) at the "breathe deep" scene - and that will stay with me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Grief

Moderate: Death

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Torture, Child abuse, and Child death

omgmkg's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book was advertised to me as witch trial fiction, but it is really much more about the conditions that allow a witch hunt and trial to happen. As a bit of a social scientist, this fictionalized take really speaks to me. At the same time, that makes the pacing of the book a bit odd—first quite slow and then fast. 

The exploration of what it would have been like if a remote place had lost all its men (which did actually happen historically) was fascinating and a part of that slower pace, though, and I really enjoyed it. As one reviewer stated, it is a feminist book without ignoring historical reality. 

I loved Ursa and Maren and really felt I learned their worlds. I was rooting for each of them right away. 

Sort of spoiler (very mild)

I wish that there was a more positive or satisfying end, but that is just not realistic in this type of book.

 

It is written in present tense which is  not my preference, but I got used to it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Miscarriage, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Rape

hiraeth_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Lesbophobia

sylexlibris's review against another edition

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Religious bigotry, Torture, Violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Grief, Misogyny, and Sexual content

ollie579's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Racism, Death, and Rape

ollie579's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Racism, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Religious bigotry

haylieprovencher's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

to be a girl is to be damned. its strange to think of a time where women practicing any extent of autonomy could’ve been a life or death situation. its gruesome and tragic and sad to think about all of these women who met this fate for daring to be themselves. its also tragic to think about the ways in which genocide was committed through witch trials. the hubris and fear of religion continues to reap similar consequences in the modern day, although in a different context. this wouldve been a 5 star read if not for the ending. i felt a little let down. the entire book did a beautiful job of foreshadowing and building, but the arc between ursa and maren fell flat to me. i understand that it was realistic and the most sensible ending, but

in my heart id like to think that they found each other again and lived the rest of their lives together. love really does set you free

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Rape

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Weirdly, this is the 3rd or 4th witch hunt/burnings book I’ve read this year. This is really well written and interesting, and does a great job of character development and crafting the remote setting. It is also stressful (check content warnings), as witch hunt books usually are!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Bullying, Death, Torture, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual violence, and Rape

Persecution, false accusations, witch hunt, drowning

haanella's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Rape