Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

71 reviews

eeeva's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

plantbasedbride's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 A courtroom drama blended with a fast-paced thriller with quite a bit of graphic and dark content. Please check trigger warnings before jumping into this one!

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I enjoyed the courtroom and podcast elements of the storytelling and felt that the subject matter explored is incredibly important (rape culture, victim-blaming, slut-shaming, double standards, consent, and the retraumatization involved in pursuing justice). On the other hand, the amount of detail involved in the descriptions of the repeated violence felt exploitative and too much like trauma porn for my taste.

This was an interesting read and quite well-paced, but I would recommend Know My Name by Chanel Miller for a nonfiction exploration of these same themes from someone who experienced similar trauma first hand.


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

soppysays's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

motherelectricity's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tesseliza's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lilifane's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

Rachel Krall - former journalist, now host of a true crime podcast - chooses to cover an ongoing rape trial in the small coastal town of Neapolis for the third season of her podcast. During her stay in in town she receives mysterious letters from a fan called Hannah about the death of her sister Jenny in Neapolis 25 years ago. Jenny's death was declared a drowning accident but Hannah believes Jenny was murdered and urges Rachel to find out the truth.

I am impressed!
I love mysteries from the past that are uncovered in the presend and this one was done SO well. Loved the mystery aspect, the subtle clues, the way Rachel handled both cases. I thought it was balanced so nicely between the current case, the one from the past and the podcast elements. To be honest I wasn't prepared for the amount of emotions I went through.
First of all there is the recent rape trial. The trial elements were so good, it felt like I was actually in the courtroom. All the characters involved were flashed out, even though you only get little information on them. The judge, the jury, the lawyers, the witnesses, they all felt like real people. Plus the way the subject was handled was impressive. It was done in such a sensitive way. And the commentary and critique on rape culture and rape trials was so good.
But Jenny's story. Uff. It broke my heart. Repetedly. The way it was presented, through Hannah's memories, was gut wrenching. You get all the descriptions from a child's point of view, a child that doesn't understand what is going on. But as a reader you understand and it hurts. It was so hard to read. But at the same time it was interesting and gripping and you just wanted to know what happened next.
You actually get enough information to figure out what happened long before it is revealed. You just have to pay attention because some of the clues are really small and subtle. But at the end it is really satisfying how every small detail fits together. I really enjoy reading books that are thought out so well that every question is actually answered at the end.

If this becomes a book series (there is actually a lot of potential), I will totally read it. Rachel is a great protagonist and her podcast is super interesting.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

paigeantonacci's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

honeyytree's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

moonlit_paperbacks's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

theyarnmaidstale's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings