Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

13 reviews

gillian_aftanas's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief

Minor: Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

peggy_racham's review against another edition

4.75

Alix Harrow is slowly but surely becoming one of my fave writters. Sometimes you really have to change your own story to be happy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Bullying, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Grief, Sexual violence, Misogyny, and Death

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Chronic illness

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Violence, Classism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Ableism, Alcohol, Child death, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Death, Infertility, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Lesbophobia

beth_taggard's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

You are accustomed to thinking of fairy tales as make-believe, but they have only ever been mirrors.

I came into this world a rough and tumble tomboy with no need to be rescued; therefore, I never related to fairy tale princesses — though even I could see how blurry the lines of consent are in being kissed while in a death sleep.

But I love a twist on a tale and what a fascinating meta-verse humanity has weaved for itself in telling and retelling tales over time. I'm grateful Alix E. Harrow can cross the worlds and reveal them to us in her unique way of spinning words into wonder.

Overall, I appreciate our flower-named heroines and the spin this tale takes on a modern classic (Thanks, Disney.) rooted in a tale or two (or three) from another time.

Of note: The pop-culture references make this short read feel like a fantastical episode of the Gilmore Girls and I can see this being off-putting to some readers, but I find it — charming. Excuse the pun.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Chronic illness

Moderate: Sexual violence and Rape

Minor: Cursing

justsomerandomperson's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Chronic illness, Lesbophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Transphobia

arianamarie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring fast-paced

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

5.0

A very interesting and inspiring concept of not settling for what you believe fate has in store for you. the characters were so interesting for a 120 page book with fleshed out characteristics 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Death

chilivanilli28's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual violence

tay_af's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

I put this novella off for a while for some reason, even though I loved the Once and Future Witches. This was possibly because I’m not typically enamoured with fairytale retellings and really didn’t enjoy the last retelling I read. But boy was I wrong. 

Harrow’s Hugo-nominated novella reimagines Aurora as a young woman, Zinnia, with a degree in Folklore and a Sleeping Beauty obsession suffering from a degenerative illness, expected to die around her 21st birthday. On that birthday, however, her best friend jokingly presents her with a spinning wheel, and things get…strange. Harrow describes this as “Spider-Verse[ing] a fairy tale,” which I found to be thoroughly accurate. A SPINDLE SPLINTERED is clever, ultra-contemporary, tongue-in-cheek, and on one memorable occasion, throwing-my-head-back laugh-out-loud witty. It values female friendship, WLW desire, and connection not only between people who know one another, but those whose stories run parallel.

The mechanics of magic in this world are purposefully vague, which may bother some readers—for instance, it is never explained why Zinnia’s cell phone works in alternate universes. I wasn’t personally bothered too much by that, as the brevity of the story logically didn’t allow for too much magical minutia. It’s predictably fast paced, and readers (like myself) who love to slow down on character backstory and interactions may have difficulty with that. 

The characters who do take center stage, however, are engaging and vibrant. I found myself very fond of Zinnia, Charm, and Primrose by the end. I’m greatly looking forward to the sequel later this year!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

changreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Sexism

panthalassa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Self harm, Chronic illness, Blood, Confinement, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Abortion