Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

113 reviews

heckgoshdang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Murder, Sexual content, Suicide, Child death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

booksanddopamine's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

This book was a wild ride. If you're someone who needs everything to make sense right out of the gate, then this is not the book for you. You pick up clues here and there throughout the book as to what the heck is going on, but things don't fully click into place until the end. 

This is the kind of fantasy I most enjoy. It's in a world that's familiar but off, so it's easy for me to imagine. There's people with regular names I can remember and pronounce. It's a little bit gritty but balanced with humor. 

It's fun but dark (kind of sort of like how The Boys tv series is kind of fun but also dark and gory). It's weird and bizarre without feeling like it's trying too hard to be weird and bizarre. I don't really know how to fully describe it without giving some key info away. 

There is a heavy dose of animal death. I had to skim through some of those parts (especially a part involving dogs) because it was too much for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, and Animal death

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is violent.  Torture is a feature. I did like it though.  The beginning was slow, but when it hooked me, I was interested until the end.  You have to lean into the suspension of disbelief and let go of your knowledge of science but I've granted that to lesser stories. This is a story that toys with our idea of God.  What happens if he died? It's interesting and despite the horror, unlikable characters and unbelievable science there is something almost charming about it.  The mystery keeps you engaged and then it's hope that sustains you. This book is not for everyone but most assuredly for some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Addiction, Bullying, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Genocide, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

julialeigh's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

There were points this book kept my attention and the overall premise was interesting, but ultimately the execution left something to be desired. Many of the characters were pretty one dimensional, the men were all a bit sleazy. The writing was often repetitive, and I feel like if the first half of the book had been condensed to a quarter of the length it would have been a more cohesive story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal death, and Violence

avilareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

i have never read a book that follows a main character with such corrupt morality. this novel truly delves into the psyche of someone who seeks the power of a god, and what that does to a human being. it was dark and brutal, and deeply insane at some parts. 

i definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a novel that is told mostly from the point of a villain-adjacent character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Gore, Rape, Suicide, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Body horror, and Genocide

Minor: Death of parent, War, Genocide, and Gun violence

szyca's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Animal death, Slavery, Drug use, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Child death, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Alcohol, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Blood, Violence, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Gun violence

jamie_rich's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This book was strange as hell. And needs to have *all* the trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Death of parent, Car accident, Confinement, Murder, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and War

antimony27's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Physical abuse, Death, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death

read_bransdon's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Gore

Minor: Rape, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and War

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is fantastic! I think the non-linear narrative really added to the suspense as the plot unfolded slowly. I enjoy how this novel puts readers into the position to root for Carolyn as she does exestentially terrifying things, the consequences of which ramp up slowly. Yet the author is still able to root the horrors of the reality Carolyn creates to the reality we know through Steve and Erwin.

This was recommended to me as horror, but I can't help but feel that while it is scary and gory, horror isn't the correct genre for this novel. Horror makes me panic at night. I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning reading The Library at Mount Char.
This is everything I could want and more from a book that starts out with the vibes of a post-hayday magic school memoir of sorts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment