Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Tentacle by Rita Indiana

7 reviews

12dejamoo's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

At once very confusing and super compelling. There was something about it which made me want to keep reading even as I got very lost in much of it. I am hesitant to call it 'weird' because I think it belongs to a culture I don't have experience of, but there definitely is that hazy blending of futurism, dystopia, religion, sex, and questions about gender. Multiple characters have multiple lives going on at the same time to the point where you aren't ever quite sure what's real or who is who. Some of this becomes obvious as you read, but it does leave you quite confused at times.

I wonder how much more would be clear if you had an understanding of orishas and Dominican traditional religion, and how much was lost on me as an outsider. I'm definitely glad I read it but I probably wouldn't rush back to it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

rigeloutinspace's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Drug use, Drug abuse, Classism, Animal death, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Abortion, Incest, Racism, Colonisation, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Animal cruelty

This book is a challenging read and tackles a lot of challenging stuff, but i found it educational, thoughtful provoking, and inspiring. Was hard to put down once I was in it.

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

challenging medium-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

1.25

A set of expansive ideas that tries to squeeze itself into an under-200-page novella, Tentacle feels like three different narratives combined into one -- and not in a particularly good way. The writing style, or at least what of it is clear in translation, is stiff and dry, only sometimes veering into something more interesting. Information is revealed in flat blocks that make it impossible to tell what will be relevant later and what will never be referenced again, with the most key details about the plot and world buried in stream-of-consciousness rambling (and the occasional rape fantasy).

The most interesting elements of that world, like an "instant sex change" injection, are treated effectively as set dressing, never really explored in depth. Instead, the meandering plot follows uninteresting, indistinct characters through events and timelines that are equally difficult to differentiate. Despite parts of their backstories being recounted in detail, I have no sense of who most of the characters are as people... other than their bigoted attitudes.

Such views being expressed by characters is one thing, but they're present in excess and never treated with especial gravity or challenged meaningfully by the narrative, and if anything seem reinforced by it. Black characters are invariably treated with disdain, to say nothing of the constant use of the N-word (by a non-Black author and translator), and the trans protagonist is only appropriately gendered after undergoing full physical transition, with no real conscious examination of his identity and experiences. Perhaps these are purposeful qualities of the setting, but if so it's never communicated well.

Could have probably been very interesting in a different format, but the combination of dense writing and gratuitous racism/homophobia and sexual violence made it far from an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Sexual violence, Racism, Medical content, Misogyny, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Sexual content, Animal death, Murder, Death, Homophobia, Transphobia, Body horror, Gore, and Gun violence

Minor: Antisemitism, Incest, Pedophilia, Fatphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Abortion, and Child abuse

valpal77's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Addiction, Drug abuse, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Racial slurs, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Death

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Dysphoria

horizonous's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, and Transphobia

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

◦ Sexual content = Prostitution

raenyreads's review

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

This book is so weird but also super interesting! I liked how it all came together at the end and as a Marine biologist I enjoyed the marine elements!
There are parts I'm not sure on the point of though which lowers my rating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

jelka_theclimatereader's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Racism, and Homophobia

Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal cruelty, Deadnaming, Drug use, and Murder