Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Sluts by Dennis Cooper

61 reviews

saccharinewoe's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

insane, depraved, disturbing, morbid, literally every synonym related to these words runs through my head as i reflect on this. but it used the epistolary format so well to explore the depravity of human beings and the pervasiveness of sexual violence in internet culture due to anonymity (more specifically in the early 2000s but its still like this now). at the heart of this is the basis of interactions on the internet and how easily a lie can become the truth - if enough people believe in it. i can't say i enjoyed this because it genuinely describes like the most fucked up things that could happen to a person but i do recognise it for what it is and what it imparted.

idk how to trigger warn this sufficiently because i feel like it requires like every single trigger warning under the sun 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Terminal illness and Adult/minor relationship

msdiamar's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Cancer, Pedophilia, Excrement, Gore, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Terminal illness, Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, and Vomit

lovesimon's review against another edition

5.0

This book was so hard to read, but so gripping I couldn't put it down. Really interesting exploration of sexuality, Internet culture, and the psychological profile of the Internet scammer which is a type of person I find endlessly fascinating. Really cool play with form. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Homophobia, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Death, Rape, Violence, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual violence, Excrement, Drug use, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

bthrds's review against another edition

3.0

this was a trip and i definitely didn't enjoy it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Body horror, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Gore, and Murder

nooneshouldbereadingthis's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Horrifying. Like spending a month on the worst forum you've ever stumbled upon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Self harm, Body horror, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Suicide and Hate crime

ekaramanov's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Medical content, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

angelicardale's review against another edition

this book is disgusting honestly lol .. exquisite corpse had more tact than a single page of this book did (and that was another one-star book for me). i hate that i had no idea what i was getting myself into. for all the graphic and horrific depictions of pedophilia and csa in this book (that read less like tragedy and more like torture p0rn, tbh), i really really wish it'd been explicitly stated in the blurb, or at the very least, in a content warnings list ANYWHERE in the book. there's not even an author's note. as a writer, i understand to a certain degree, but it's just plain negligent to not warn readers or categorize it in the right genre !!!! this was under general fiction at barnes & noble. it should be considered splatterpunk tbh. anyway screw tiktok for recommending me this book it was awful and not worth finishing imo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Self harm, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Domestic abuse, Death, Chronic illness, Addiction, Pedophilia, Blood, Trafficking, Violence, Terminal illness, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Medical trauma, Child death, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Body horror, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Medical content, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Drug abuse

kiiromitsubachi's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cancer, Confinement, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Torture, Trafficking, and Self harm

finleyfrogreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Trafficking, Murder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, and Drug use

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Vomit, Alcohol, Death, Excrement, and Suicide

nicolehoyme's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

3.0

I’m very conflicted on what to give this book. It is deeply disturbing, and I can’t say I enjoyed it. But the writing was good and the story was well executed, I thought, and I couldn’t put it down. I have not read anything like it nor will I probably read anything like it again

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse