Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Mandibula by Mónica Ojeda

81 reviews

kriskrisboom's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book was deeply horrifying in that opaque. Just around the corner  in part because of the rich and textured beautiful language. The translator's note says that translating this book was an unsettling experience. It's a well crafted cosmic/white horror novel. The tension builds masterfully and the conclusion is nebulous and terrifying. The resolution isnt in a plot point but rather the reader's own engagement with the scope of fear inherent in burgeoning womanhood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Stalking

moss_martii's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

our_bookish_reads's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Rape

clarebear2218's review against another edition

4.0

dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Self harm, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting

bookwhore07's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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so gorgeous every other line reads like poetry. very intelligently written but not too hard to understand. also very creepy and gorey in such an intentional way that i don’t think a lot of horror books live up to. i <333

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Kidnapping

Minor: Rape

lain_darko's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Death of parent, Alcohol

blackmetalblackheart's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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 Jawbone is not a book for everyone. It is profoundly disturbing at times; filled with messy characters, intense trauma, manipulative behavior, and torture. Yet there is a depth to its message; the connections of the characters, the bonds of mothers and daughters, the idea of purity and potential. The stream of consciousness style of writing gets into the heads of these characters in a way that captures their unique voices, thoughts, and perspectives. Sitting here after having finished, there is an unsettled feeling in my stomach; an uneasiness that is hard to capture in words. And that is the power of this book. Ojeda, and the amazing work of the translator, presents something visceral and powerful. Some will be turned off by that, but those who are not will find something truly excellent within these pages. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death

manuelac's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Jawbone is an outrageously innovative novel of literary horror which weaves together classic literature, pop culture, and creepypastas with a running stitch of hyphens and a sprinkle of Ferrante.  This is a book about fear and horror—this is a book about mothers and daughters.  We follow panic-ridden Clara, a young teacher obsessed with becoming her dead mother, as she encounters Annelise and Fernanda, the sapphic leaders of a pack of teen girls who take over an abandoned building to make a game of worshiping a horrifying White God of their own invention.  Mónica Ojeda traps readers between her teeth with never-before-dared depictions of ugliness and taboo, and Sarah Booker’s translator’s note is incredibly insightful—don’t skip it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Lesbophobia

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

mcalzatet's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Minor: Violence