Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

47 reviews

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

4.25

I don't read novellas very often, in part because I always find myself wanting more than what's allowed for something to be called a novella. Even Though I Knew the End was one of those instances. I was really drawn to the characters and the tender relationship between the main character and her partner. I was also impressed by the amount of worldbuilding Polk squeezed into this novella, which, again, makes me wish more could have been done.

All things considered though, this was a tightly written novella, with some good old-fashioned noir vibes with a hint of the supernatural. It was much more fast-paced than I expected, but Polk got their story across well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, Blood, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Misogyny

Minor: Car accident

emily_mh's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.25

Usually I’m not a fan of paranormal stories (e.g., urban fantasy, angels and demons type stuff) but I really liked it here. Polk fit in some nice depth to the world which is always a challenge in a novella. I especially appreciated the history we were given of the angels as this fleshed out the angel characters well. I also liked how the politics between the various supernatural factions had such direct influence over the plot and characters. I will say I was a little confused whether the supernatural/magical world was hidden or the norm for all humans everywhere. 

The story was so easy to fly through. The plot was fast-paced and investigation-driven, the latter essential in a murder-mystery for me. It was also clever, the resolution satisfying. 

I got a good sense of the MC Helen and was fully rooting for her. She’s a puzzler and a thinker, she’s driven, but most important she loves HARD. My heart was in my throat seeing the lengths she would go to to save and protect her loved ones. 

Unfortunately I didn’t totally get the romance between Helen and Edith. I didn’t feel the depth of their connection like most other readers have seemed to. But it wasn’t a biggie for me overall. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Drug use, Gun violence, Death of parent, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Homophobia, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Cursing, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol

Moderate: conversion therapy, eye trauma Minor: gambling, loss of a loved one, self-injury

leanne_miron's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: Medical content and Homophobia

n0elle's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

robin1010's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

1.0

 The premise was great, the execution needs a lot of editing and about double the pages. The author had a lot of different subjects and topics to explore but wasn't able to focus on anything enough to give meaning or depth. There was barely any investigation into the murder mystery that wasn't just reasons to put x character at x location, the romance was incredibly flat and had very little development, the magic system was vague and handwavy, the lore and worldbuilding was equally only the strictly relevant and barely that. Even the atmosphere distinctly missed the noir mark, as the writing style, dialogue, and characters just felt modern. A few bits of outdated vocabulary here and there doesn't make it noir. 

 The pacing was horrendous. The novel spends almost the exact same amount of time on each event that happens, regardless of how important or how much explanation this event needs.

Helen and Edith talking in the club takes MORE time than the reveal of Edith as an angel and her and the angel's entire backstory/mechanism of possession.

The last act felt squished together and the first two felt dragged out. Some chapters just felt like filler. You never really get time for events or revelations to sink in and settle. 

For whatever reason the author put in angels and demons, and then immediately gives the tools to kill them. I don't understand the point of having these beings known for limitless power and immortality and then making them killable. In a similar vein the last big fight was relatively anticlimactic - we were just introduced to the real antagonist and his motivations and he's dead in a couple of paragraphs. Delaney was a weird character to have in there - also, Helen specifically notes his eyes flare the same weird way Edith's do, but doesn't connect the dots between that and him having angelic influence until hes already revealed as the villain.

I hate that Helen and Ted both 'go to hell' at the end. In a wlw book? really? In combination with repeated mentions of homophobia (including conversion therapy) and misogyny. Don't tell me these are about adding realism in a fantasy book. 

 

The relationship itself also, frankly, sucks. It has all the chemistry of a dead fish. Largely because Helen is as blank as they come, but theres also no development, no time spent just getting to know them, no interaction that isn't painfully generic and could be any couple speaking to each other. It was boring reading about them.

The characters, themes, and content needed more space to breathe than such a short book gave it, and the author needed to choose a focus rather than juggling too many things at once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Death

marleywrites's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? No

3.0

I didn’t know what to expect for this story, but I’m so glad about that. Coming in with no expectations and just enjoying the ride was a fun time. There are angels and demons and magic, and it even has some horror elements. 

This was an exciting, mysterious read, with a sweet established queer relationship. The author did a fantastic job with the world building of this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Misogyny, Violence, Homophobia, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, and Death of parent

elderwoodreads's review

emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

This was a great little novella! I loved the characters and the story. I did feel like the beginning was a little confusing because you are dropped right in and sort of have to make connections along the way. I also feel like the ending was a little over foreshadowed especially

with the reference to his eyes doing the same thing as her girlfriend's in the photo

. Overall I enjoyed it and think it's a fun and fast read, especially if you're looking for a unique sapphic story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, and Violence

Minor: Homophobia and Car accident

piastri's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

oh my god i love this book so much. this is everything my lesbian, in-the-midst-of-a-religious-crisis self needs. 

i wasn’t sure how a story so short would be able to be so damn thrilling and emotional, but polk did it. i loved reading this and working out the plot at the same time. beautiful 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Homophobia

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Misogyny

Minor: Death of parent and Car accident

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Blood

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Homophobia, Alcohol, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Mental illness

griffinthief's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Car accident and Death of parent