Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

163 reviews

malenita1's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective slow-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

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

linda_elaine's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery

adriatrees's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

riffmonkey's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

1.0

I in no way understand why my mother recommended this. I also do not get why the rating of this book is so high by so many people. In the first chapter, there was already much unnecessary grossness and violence towards women. But in the second it was even worse, and it did not get better as the book went on. Call me crazy but I would rather not read a whole chapter about some racist, misogynistic, child-raping paedophile having a tirade about how much better he is than everyone else and trying to justify his slave-owning ass. 

I do not want to read about exploitation or rape. I do not give a shit about torture and the most dark psychological hellscape you can come up with. But just 500 pages of a garbage human ruining the lives of this magical family made me feel sick to my stomach. It's a fucking miracle I even finished this book although I am quite sure I was dissociated for the last 2 chapters at least. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Torture

chiara_dose's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Car accident, Abortion, and Sexual harassment

emmagiverny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

ag_berry's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Abortion, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pregnancy

hopeandchange's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Torture

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

anahisa's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-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

2.75

FUCK ESTEBAN TRUEBA, BABY IM A HATER TO MY BONESSSSSSSSSS

now, I experienced such a disconnect with this book largely in part because of its characters. they were flawed and real, true! also true is that I did not care for a single one of them!! for a family drama spanning multiple generations, very few of the emotional beats landed for me (🤨😐😔) sadly.

in a shocking turn of events, I was drawn more towards the politics + history that informed the background of this saga. the novel’s attention to women’s rights, unionization, revolution, and the west’s presence in foreign governments were its saving grace for me. 

and one thing this book tackles brilliantly is the violence of men + power. so so so many terrible ways in which these individuals + institutions possess, demean, and violate others. while earlier I mentioned that many of the story’s emotional beats were a miss for me, it never failed to make me absolutely livid! the anger I felt when reading some of these scenes! every man in my line of sight should be afraid! rage enough to burn the world I think!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Rape

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Car accident, War, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Xenophobia, and Abortion