Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Lady Macbeth by Ava Reid

61 reviews

sydapel's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I really struggled with this one, even though Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors at the moment. I think I expected a much different story arc going in, and that combined with what felt like a huge shift in writing style created a bit of a sluggish story. While I see to the heart of what Reid was going for - a young girl trying to grapple with how much power her beauty gives her in a world of power hungry, bloodthirsty men - the way that it was executed in the story didn't feel effective to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail

spellbindingtomes's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

𝘐𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘺, 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴. 𝙑𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚.

Reviews for this book seem to be decidedly split, with readers either loving or strongly disliking Ava's approach - and I'm firmly in the 'love it' camp. Ava's enthralling writing pulled me out of my recent audiobook slump, transforming Shakespeare's classic Macbeth with a dark, witchy feminist lens that completely reimagines one of its central character. 

As someone who's always been a fan of Shakespeare, I was captivated by how Ava added magical elements and depth to Lady Macbeth, creating a narrative that diverges dramatically from the original play. 

The atmospheric prose and witchcraft elements make this an ideal fall read. It's a fresh perspective that turns a familiar story into something entirely new and unexpected. If you enjoy retellings that challenge your understanding of classic characters, this book delivers a provocative and immersive experience that lingers long after the final page. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War

eguillo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

carrie_reads's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Mental illness, Torture, and Suicide attempt

meowgaib's review against another edition

dark slow-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? No

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

dreareads_'s review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

1.5

Okay....

I will link my video review because I do not have the time to type out all of my thoughts at the moment, BUT I do want to warn everyone that this book is <b> full of anti Scottish xenophobia </b> that is  not confronted nor unpacked in the story.

Forget the boring depiction of Lady Macbeth, or the horrific

rape scene that is immediately followed by a sex scene with a love interest that is simply considered good because he didn't rape her even though he wanted to

, or the dragon shapeshifter. The real downfall of this book is the constant description of Scottish people as uncivilized, blood thirsty, patriarchal, brutes while the English were given enough grace to seem sexist but civilized. 

I cannot in good conscience recommend this book, and if I am honest I do not think I will be reading another Ava Reid book any time soon. 

Video Review: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA6KAZCAbl1/?igsh=aXFuNXppbmN6NHJy

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

juliana18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Torture

Moderate: Rape

scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

I wasn't sure what to expect but it was... not that. It wasn't entirely terrible. I enjoyed Ava's writing. She has a way of stringing words together into similes and metaphors that paint a vivid picture of both the setting and the character's inner turmoil. I knew this was not a direct retelling but more of a reimagining and a completely different story than the Lady Macbeth that some of us know from Shakespeare.

I wasn't expecting a love triangle of sorts. I wasn't expecting to be completely bored with the romance and going "wait what" at a lot of moments in relation to that romance, especially how it begins. I guess I also wanted a little more character development? And maybe a little more action from the FMC. Pacing was also off, where it dragged initially and then rushed in the last 100 or so pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Sexual assault, and Torture

Minor: Animal death and Abortion

CW for regicide, whipping, women accused of witchcraft and witchery, ableism (the use of the word "madness"), violent physical handling of women

i_will_sing_no_requiem's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Classism

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Xenophobia