Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Under the Skin by Michel Faber

9 reviews

nairijan's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

An incredibly beautiful work of sci-fi, Faber really creates a story that does aptly get under your skin. In following the exploited and alien Isserley, the novel wonderfully tackles themes of worker exploitation, misogyny, and the daily struggle of living in an uncanny manner for the human reader. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

scifi_rat's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Sexism, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Car accident, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and Rape

directorpurry's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Classism, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Body horror, Car accident, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Confinement, Dysphoria, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Animal death

gasmasquerade's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Overview: Under the Skin is a provacative and challenging novel, beautifully written to capture both the majesty of it's serene setting and the complexity of undefinable emotions that simmer throughout the book. It is a great allegory for class struggle, gender inequality, and animal rights. Nothing like the movie but still very much worth the read.

PROS
• Beautiful writing - The descriptions of the environment are captivating and paint immaculate pictures, without being over the top or needlessly wordy. Same goes for descriptions of people's emotions and actions, beautifully written in a way you really could picture what people were feeling and thinking. 
• Complex main character who oscillates between being  sympathetic and abhorrent. Her struggle with her own sense of value in a world that does not value her is painfully relatable.
• Nailed the Human Experience - the descriptions of people's emotions and reactions were relatable, believable, and really captured the nuance of the human experience.

CONS
• Slow story - I think the slowness and the repetition capture the slow tedious experience of the protagonist, but at times I found myself wondering, "is this going anywhere?"
• Abrupt Ending - I don't HATE the ending, but I do feel a bit like the author didn't know how to end the story and so it rushes to a close quite quickly. It's the fastest part of the book and I left feeling it wasn't quite...done?
• Deliberate Obfuscation - a personal pet peeve of mine is when everyone in a book knows something but the author won't say it so you'll be sure to keep turning the page. Feels a wee bit manipulative. 

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It's not pleasant, but it's beautiful, and its discussions about class, gender, and taking our environment for granted are relevant now more than ever. Highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

kirstybaxter's review

dark funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Car accident

inkell's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gore, and Body horror

ambero's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

Didn’t love it and wouldn’t necessarily recommend it but I’m glad I read it

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Cursing, Sexual violence, and Sexism

quirpele's review

challenging dark funny reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Fantastic and devastating book. Deeply funny despite some quite gory sections. Recommend if you liked Animal Farm or The Sparrow. Not many male authors do a woman's POV this well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Excrement, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Rape, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

miamon's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, and Excrement