Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

11 reviews

abbz_o_lutely's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

⚠️READ CONTENT WARNINGS ⚠️
Honestly, this book was incredible. Shocks around every corner. Truly a story that now lives rent free in my head. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Medical trauma, Death, Violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism

Nancy's fate was the scariest part

hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

I was on the waitlist for this book with my library FOR SIX MONTHS!!!! I was psyched to finally read it. I thought it had an interesting premise and liked where everything was going, up to one point at the end. The whole Nancy twist really threw me, I’m still a little confused on that if I’m honest. But it’s a Good For Her™️ book nonetheless! I also really liked and appreciated the author’s note and afterword. Will definitely read more from this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Mental illness, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Animal death, and Bullying

we need a tw tag for cults!

poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, Medical trauma, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Police brutality, Grief, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder

Minor: Racism

emory's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Misogyny, Gore, Blood, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Child death, Emotional abuse, Torture, Sexual assault, Murder, Animal death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Excrement and Vomit

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

mlovesbooks's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Loved it much more than I thought I would. Mary, you're a queen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Sexism, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Homophobia

sonygaystation's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Holy motherfucking shit. This book hit exactly right in all the places it wanted to hit. I was NOT expecting a cis man to be able to do this kind of exploration of female rage and gender but holy shit. I’m in love with this book. I had so much fun through all the nasty humans and gore, and I LOVED Mary and her aunt even though her aunt is the absolute worst human and Mary herself needs some work. But damn y’all Nat Cassidy did the thing because despite being 20 years younger than the MC, I related so much to her. Also it just makes my year when I can find genuine horror that’s not only good but ACTUALLY has in depth commentary and metaphors and doesn’t lazily rely on mental illness and its bastardization. I loved this to pieces. Seriously. I’m about to tell everyone I know to pick this up, Listen to this via audiobook cuz omg Susan Bennett does not hold back!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Body horror, Death, Dysphoria, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Cursing

Minor: Racism, Child death, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Deportation

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Akin to the works of Ottessa Moshfesh, this is an intimate, scary study of a disturbed character going through ordeals that are both relatable and horrifying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Confinement, Fatphobia, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Torture, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Death of parent, Bullying, Violence, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Drug use, Abandonment, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Cancer, Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Child death

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, Vomit, and Lesbophobia

Please be aware that there is ageism against middle-aged women, cult activity, family dysfunction, murder of a family member, and purposeful glorification of a serial killer.

blacksphinx's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

3.5

I did enjoy this book, but it's a stew of various elements I'm not sure all come together in the end. I don't regret my time with it, but it goes off in a direction I wasn't expecting (both in a good and bad way) and I'm not sure how likely I am to recommend it to others or reread it. I would hold it up as a shockingly good example of feminist horror written by a man though, and I will definitely be reading Nat Cassidy's next book, Nestlings, when it comes out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Gun violence

Minor: Terminal illness, Racism, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Death of parent

sarah984's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

This was just okay for me. It was way too long and unfocused in places but it had a few good scares and some of the stuff with the ghosts was great. I get what the author was trying to say with the ending but I'm not 100% sure it worked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Stalking, Blood, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Vomit, and Child death

eeviee's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

As the author more aptly describes, what would happen if Carrie never had her powers? Well, perimenopausal gore-fest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, and Gore