Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu

51 reviews

catmisae's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Murder

samisreading's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content

shimshimminy's review against another edition

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm

lbelow's review

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

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Such a masterpiece of a book! The way it's written, cobbled together from "primary" sources and alternating from one to another to give a linear timeline, had me glued to my seat. The pacing is on point, the emotion is gut-wrenching, the relationships are convoluted, and the main character (Hayden) is so deeply, beautifully flawed and hurting. This book felt visceral in a way I'm sure I won't forget anytime soon!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

angleslist's review against another edition

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Self harm

caidyn's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Such a unique Hamlet retelling. It felt very loosely a retelling and definitely more its own thing. Queer, sci-fi, murder mystery, life and death. So good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief

lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is really interesting, and I definitely recommend it, but I don't want to read it ever again.  This is the weirdest locked room mystery, queer Hamlet re-telling that will ever exist.  Hayden's (Hamlet) father has been murdered and now the lab that the main characters are in has been locked down while Hamlet tries to avenge his father.  There are a lot of clever bits and allusions, and I definitely like that the Ophelia character has more of a personality, but she still feels lacking and her story still revolves around Hayden/Hamlet.  I am not sure how I feel about the Horatio character.  He is AI now and really in Hayden's head.  I don't want to say more due to spoilers, but I like the idea of Horatio and what happens, but I am not sure I buy into the execution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder

bibliomania_express's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

le_mur's review against another edition

3.0

dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Grief

anntharai's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Jfc I don't even know where to start. All I can say is that I'll be thinking about this book - against my will - for probably years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail