Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

29 reviews

onegalonelife27's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

We enter the story in Clementine’s point of view on the night of her sixteenth birthday, where she’s getting ready to meet a man. However, once they meet, it doesn't take long for things to escalate and for Clementine to end up with blood on her hands. The rest of the story is told in Aster’s, her older sister’s point of view. 

With Aster’s chapters following we learn of the world of Arketta, which an empire took over and any rebels became Dustbloods, people cursed to not cast shadows and their descendants born without shadows.  There’s also fairbloods, people who do have shadows, the privileged class of the world. Many of the dustbloods give their daughters to the welcome houses, where the girls work as sex workers after they turn sixteen and are tattoos, flower looking tattoos that will hurt them should they rebel against orders or go covered for too long.  We don’t get to see much of this life because Clementine and Aster along with friends Mallow and Tansy, and finally local prima donna Violet run away. Because Violet claims she knows where a woman known as the Ghost Lady, rumored to be able to remove the favors. So thus begins a life on the run for these young girls. 

This is a good example of a found family, with each girl getting a chance to shine, and the group overall bonding over their travels in hopes of freedom. We certainly feel sympathetic towards Clementine’s predicament, her sister and two friends for helping her cover up the murder. Violet acts more snobby, due to being born from fairblood thus having a shadow, yet with her own point of view we do become more fond of her, like Aster does. Also I’ve got a soft spot for ladies doing crime, call me crazy. Support women’s rights and wrongs. 

I also love the idea of a fantasy world being more centered around 19th century culture, especially one that has a Wild West. Especially in this world where ghosts are real and can be violent against the living, ghost town has a whole new meaning. 

I really enjoyed the story, with great reveals and action, but also some great heart. I’m hoping I can read the sequel soon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide and Medical trauma

theandoriryn's review

The setup of underage girls being

tattooed/marked and used in sex work

against their will was too much for me right now. Might return to it later.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Misogyny, Murder, Drug use, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Suicide attempt, Medical content, Suicide, and Infertility

kodiex's review

challenging dark sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Addiction, Confinement, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Vomit, and Trafficking

Minor: Infertility, Suicide, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Torture, and Medical trauma

carolined314's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Escaping to freedom, in an action-packed series of events, learning one's own agency, choosing friendship, and so much more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Confinement, Abandonment, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Grief, Colonisation, and Addiction

Minor: Gaslighting

eilidhmo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Mixing a magical fantasy and western is such a great combo and I really enjoyed every time we got to see a little more about this world our characters live in. The growth of Aster as a main character was also great to see and her arc was very much an integral part of the story, if a bit predictable at times.

Stories about found family bonds, overcoming past traumatic experiences and fighting the system are always ones I enjoy, I just found that there was something missing for me personally with this one. I really wanted to love this book as it came so highly recommend to me by a friend but I just liked it. I definitely had to talk myself into picking it up and reading a couple chapters a few times but overall I enjoyed the story.

This world has so much potential and I hope more of it is explored in books to come as Davis is an extremely talented writer. If dark fantasy adventure, standing up for yourself and sisterhood are your jam, definitely give this book a read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Gun violence

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug use, and Infertility

msemeniuk's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

rowanasm's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Classism, Gun violence, Sexism, Addiction, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking

directorpurry's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Torture, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse

kat_mayerovitch's review

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I'm not normally into westerns (even fantasy westerns), but this book was a great read. There was a lot left unanswered (how are people's shadows removed? how exactly is race tied to debt?), but the story and character development itself made it worthwhile. I love the idea of escaped comfort women banding together to steal from their oppressors and help others in their situation, even if they fell into it half by accident. Like Robin Hood meets Thelma and Louise or something. Anyhow, this was a great start to a series!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Child abuse, and Trafficking

Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Death of parent, Classism, Physical abuse, and Addiction