Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

150 reviews

koerli's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, War, Sexism, Racism, Blood, and Emotional abuse

lala2love's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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

4.0

I really loved the tough yet important message in the book about how women are treated in religious communities. I would give if a 5, but it did have a lot of moments of telling and not showing. However, I know it is a YA book so I can't be too critical of that. The book isn't for the faint of heart since it can be quite dark at times, but that's the point. However, the wholesome relationships help balance it out. Wonderful book, I can't recommend it enough!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Gore

Minor: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, and Death of parent

rocksicle's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Religious bigotry, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexism

Moderate: Violence, War, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

librarianlayla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Emotionally driven and filled with action. I could not put this book down. 

Beautifully written, haunting and at times difficult to read - but so essential. I cannot wait for the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Physical abuse, Violence, Death, Gaslighting, Torture, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Slavery

fanboyriot's review against another edition

dark slow-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? Yes

2.0

Honestly, I didn’t really like this book at all.  I just couldn’t seem to get into it with the characters falling flat and the stiff dialogue; the only reason I didn’t DNF is because it was an audiobook and I figured I made it half way already.

While I liked the idea of this book, fighting against a world were there was unnecessary hatred; there were just so many moments that made no sense with how the belief system worked.  Not to mention how did all the Northerns, Southerners, Easterners, and Westerners all agree all girls who bleed gold were demons but girls who bleed red were valued??  You’re telling me not one person out of all the different ideologies each group had that they didn’t noticed an issue with their system??

I don’t know if it’s because I don’t care for first person point of view or just how the book was written but I didn’t get attached to any of the characters either which is really disappointing.  However, the world building was easy to understand for a fantasy book.  It was simple and to the point.

My biggest questions though is how did no one bleed before they were sixteen?!  Women were not allowed to do “strenuous” work because they could NOT bleed before they turned sixteen years old?!

You’re telling me:

• No one lost their baby teeth until sixteen then?
• No one tripped and skinned their knee as a kid?
• No one had any medical issues until then?
• No one had bodily functions like periods until the minute of their sixteen birthday?
• That there weren’t any accidents in their everyday life that happened UNTIL they turned sixteen?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, War, Sexism, Death, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Pedophilia, Self harm, Grief, Animal death, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Child death, and Vomit

holodrum's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence and Child abuse

natalie1227's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

I loved this book the world building could use a little work but I loved it! The characters were interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Religious bigotry, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Rape

_alyssar_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Homophobia, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

deb_prosp's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

While Forna's prose is clunky and cliché at times (cue multiple mentions of "tears welled up in/ burned/ pricked my eyes"), the plot itself feels groundbreaking in its diverse cast of characters and rapid world-building. 'The Gilded Ones' was a solid page turner that sat comfortably in my thoughts once finished. I would not object to reading the sequel. 

Quite an enjoyable and relaxing read despite the darkly graphic and violent content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Blood, Sexual violence, War, and Xenophobia

rustylasagna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Religious bigotry, Death, and Sexism

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