Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever

28 reviews

julietvandoornik's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

god i love a book with a dysfunctional relationship. it’s an incredible book. it’s dark and very well written with two incredibly unreliable characters. four stars though because the ending was very very vague. i like a subtle ending but this left a LOT up to interpretation and i’m not a fan of that. but overall highly recommend! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Suicide

spookystag's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Antisemitism and Physical abuse

foreverinastory's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.0

 This was almost a dark romance... so close!

Rep: Achillen Jewish MC, rich achillean love interest, Jewish side character, Black side characters.

CWs: Alcohol consumption, animal death (MC collects butterflies), antisemitism, blood death, emotional abuse, gaslighting, homophobia, self harm (purposeful burns), sexual content including dominance, murder and planning of murder, toxic relationship, violence, mental illness (depression), bullying, grief, kidnapping, stalking, suicide, death of parent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Murder, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide, and Death of parent

rosieposie_5_'s review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I can’t say this is a perfect book — I only just finished it and listened to it via audiobook — but I can say that it is memorable. 

Paul, our main character, is a withdrawn and angry kid(only 16–17) going to college with people he cannot relate to. until… Julian comes in. Julian is so different in upbringing and personality but carries the same kind of sadness and loneliness that Paul does. Immediately they click, and immediately it’s obvious that they are terrible for each other. The development of their relationship and the directions it takes never come as a surprise but they still come together to create a haunting picture. 

This is not a book with a happy beginning, middle, or end. It is not a book with heroic and happy characters. These Violent Delights is a book where the protagonist and antagonist are the same person. 
The relationships and people are realistic in their shortcomings and mistakes and emotions and it is tragic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Murder, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

badbud's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Blood, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Death of parent, Antisemitism, and Animal death

mezzano's review

challenging dark tense slow-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? Yes

2.0

These Violent Delights is a beautifully written debut novel which also happens to be a book I thoroughly disliked reading. Paul and Julian have their tender and loving moments which make the tragedy believable, but the setting and writing comes across as overly pretentious and showy. Before any real crime or violence took place in the novel, I already disliked the characters. Their mistakes and the late-book drama felt stale as I found it impossible to feel any sympathy of Julian OR Paul. By creating a world rich with imagery and prestige, the leads become less desirable as protagonists.

 Considering this is a debut novel the book is written masterfully, but if a character-driven novel has characters who are hard to love, the story will be difficult to finish.  Some good notes in this book which do land well is the corruptive power of money and influence. Paul is dragged into Julian's world of power and charisma, and learns that a posh world is the opposite of an honest one. Unlike other reviews, I did enjoy certain aspects of the ending of the book, such as when Paul needs to face the reality of his past actions alone.  At its highest points, These Violent Delights is intoxicating, but the hangover the highs leads isn't worth the effort. The drama could have been easily prevented with characters that had an ounce more common sense or empathy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Body horror, Gore, Physical abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

rotatinglibrary's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is dark. Like reading next to a candle stub in a hurricane dark. It’s also beautifully written. The style reminds me specifically of the Vegas chapters of The Goldfinch. 

Near the climax of the book, These Violent Delights becomes almost a satire. Paul’s violence and Julian’s black moods feel contrived. 
They wait for each other to make the next move, never anticipating their own. Other elements in this book do feel real, though. Paul’s sisters and their aloofness, his mother’s anxious fluttering. Julian’s loathing of his family’s wealth and status. The fury of other people just being wrong and not caring. 

Can I say I liked this book? Not really. It disturbed me. It stuck in my head for days after I finished it. I don’t exactly recommend it. If you want an example of stellar writing of a festering immature relationship gone to hell, this is it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

Other content warnings:drugging, kidnapping, stammer, injury, car accident, codependency, politics, profanity

biblioleah's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

this book reads like heartache. it is a book about people who are hurting and in turn want to hurt the world for what it’s done to them. it is not a love story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship