Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins

115 reviews

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

silverheartbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Blood, Child death, Rape, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Drug use, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, War, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Car accident, Addiction, and Cancer

bryn_cavin's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Gore

Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

kylietokar's review against another edition

challenging dark

4.0

Is there a box I can check for batshit insane? 

This is one of those books that I'm thrilled I read, but I'm still not actually sure how I feel about it. The premise is X-Men meets Umbrella Academy meets Series of Unfortunate Events (supernatural old guy adopts a bunch of orphans and abuses them into developing their own unique powers). Hawkins does not bother to develop any depth of character in any of the orphans except Carolyn, whose mood swings are so wild it's hard to believe she's a cohesive personality. 

Conversely, the mortal pawn she manipulates into doing her bidding throughout this story is so gosh darn loveable it hurts. He's compassionate, he's rash, he's thoughtful, he's resourceful, he's angry, he's human. He is worth reading this book on his own. 

The plot itself, and the world that Hawkins craftily chooses to build only in pieces (leave things up to the imagination and all that), is fantastical, science fictiony, and probably would translate well to the screen. But it's also horrifically violent (& borderline insulting to victims of sexual assault at a few points) and sometimes frustratingly vast. 

I recommend reading this book, for sure, almost just because I need more people to experience the bizarreness that exists within these pages. But go at your own risk!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Sexual assault

evandaniel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I don’t really even know how to describe this. Recommend for fans of Stephen King, Neil Gaiman, and Terry Pratchett who aren’t sensitive to violence.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Torture, Body horror, Rape, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Minor: Self harm, Kidnapping, Drug use, Abandonment, Vomit, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Xenophobia, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, War, Racism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

amelyn19's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Self harm, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Violence, Torture, Suicide, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Forced institutionalization

tew_11's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book read to me like American Gods by Neil Gaiman in the way that larger forces at play manipulate "everyday" people. It was truly one of the most gory books I've read so I would not recommend to the faint of heart. Really interesting and I had a hard time putting it down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexual violence, Suicide, Animal death, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Car accident

pansypantaloons's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, War, Rape, Torture, Sexual assault, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Death of parent and Sexual assault

meg_elyse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Animal death, Body horror, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Gore, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Drug use, War, Animal death, Confinement, Excrement, Self harm, Rape, Torture, and Vomit