Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

62 reviews

tacoshark's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

Look, this book is impressive in a lot of ways - the plotting is intricate and holds up, and the ultimate mystery is well done and satisfying. However, there are some things about this book that are just too disturbing to let go. First, it’s incredibly violent and a little bit gleefully, at that. Second, there’s a character who is subjected to such disgusting and extensive fat-shaming that it’s repellent (especially when in the readers guide, you learn that this is the author’s favorite character and he wanted to make him deplorable - hard not to connect the dots that he purposely made the character fat so he could use that as another of his negative traits - it’s truly gross). Finally, one of the POV characters is acknowledged to be a serial rapist and yet there’s no accountability for that (in a book theoretically about punishing the monstrous) and you’re, at times, asked to sympathize with him. I finished this because I wanted to see if the plot would hold up, but I will never read this author again and I can’t recommend you do either. This book gets a lot of hype and honestly, it’s gross that it has all this in it and people are still recommending it. I’m only giving it two stars because it is a feat of plotting, but if you care about any of the above, don’t read it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Ableism, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, Addiction, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

colpenbewley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book is absolutely bonkers! It was intriguing and absorbing and I can only be in awe at how difficult it must have been to write. Would strongly recommend for a long haul flight as I would have loved to have consumed it in one sitting. The endless twists and turns did get confusing at times and I wouldn't class it as an 'easy' read as you needed to remember exactly who was who. I tried to just settle in to the madness and roll along for the ride! Would definitely recommend, very innovative. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

prettycloud's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

A whirlwind mystery, continually bamboozling and delightful, excellently paced. New clues only lead to new questions, and though the ending is a series of twists, they make sense and satisfy.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

Minor: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Eating disorder, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Grief

No in-text rape but a perspective character has raped women in the past. No in-text drug abuse but a perspective character is still high from previous drug use and there is alcohol use and abuse.

No in-text suicide but a perspective character sees what they think is

suicide. Several murders happen in a thriller/murder mystery context, so there's grief and trauma but the vibe is more action-y and solution-oriented. If you have trauma around the "justice" system, be warned that the main characters

are on trial/imprisoned in a fantasy/metaphysical way, so there's no literal lawyer/judge/prison content, but their freedom will be decided based on a judgment of their actions.

toeknee113's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence

eilidhmo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

What a book. A masterful blend of time travel, body hopping, and murder that kept me guessing until the end. I wish I could experience this for the first time all over again.

Initially took me a minute to get into it but you spend the book learning, growing, and solving the mystery of Blackheath with Aiden, and that's what makes this so compelling. There have been evenings I stayed up until 2am because I needed to know what happened next and days where I couldn't wait to get back to it. Somehow a book that is so familiar in style and yet truly original. Can't wait to read more of Stuart Turton's works.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death, and Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

helenferg's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Confinement, Child death, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

quills4days's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Drug use, and Fatphobia

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual violence, Drug use, Rape, Suicide, and Self harm

Minor: Infidelity, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Addiction

leahrosiee's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Most of this book would have been 2 stars for how I struggled through it but it was unlike any other mystery I’ve experienced so it gains another star. Maybe in a different mood or time I would have liked it better. The way the story spirals in on itself is insane and I truly would have never seen the ending coming, which is frustrating and great at the same time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Sexism, Addiction, Blood, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Alcohol, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, and Child death

Moderate: Infidelity, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Torture

Minor: Abandonment and Self harm

spookily's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Violence, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Torture, Medical content, and Rape