Reviews tagging 'Death'

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

19 reviews

oliviapincin's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Classism, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Child death, and Sexual harassment

elisascrive's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Found myself gnashing at the end without even realising. It always keeps you on the edge. Not a five-star read just because I thought the ending would be much more devastating. Still, the rest of the book is a masterpiece of language and flow. 

It is not an easy read though, very explicit with toxic relationships all over. Motherhood and "sisterhood" are extremely relevant to the whole story and plot, with graphic depictions scattered throughout the novel.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Death

Minor: Alcohol

allapaz's review against another edition

5.0

no notes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Physical abuse, Blood, Self harm, and Sexual content

entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Classism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Death, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders

hi_im_tate's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I loved the formatting of this book. The few reviews I skimmed over didn't mention it. There are chapters that are like regular chapter books, full of text, and then there are chapters that are formatted more like interviews. The chapters, also, jump between characters and past and present. If that isn't something you like, I suggest not reading this book. There were times were it was hard to read because it felt like the sentences just went on and on and on with several words that confused me and were hard to pronounce.

Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before. 

The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.

The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.

The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

rook13's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

4.25

Without a doubt the WEIRDEST book I've ever read. Jawbone is disgusting, creepy, enticing, unique, horrifying, and thought-provoking. It made my stomach clench up in fear and disgust at different points but Ojedas unique style made me keep reading even when I wanted to stop. This book explores motherhood and daughterhood, religious trauma, and the intimacy and violence of female friendships.

Rated it 4 only bc the sexual aspect of the horror was sometimes a bit much (and with that in mind--tw for anyone for whom that may be an issue, including tw for sexual assault described rather graphically if not explicitly).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Cannibalism, Violence, Blood, Torture, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, and Incest

Minor: Excrement, Vomit, and Rape

matigiuro's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Blood

morebedsidebooks's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Minor: Chronic illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Abortion, Cannibalism, Child death, Transphobia, and Racism

maragtzrbooks's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

Esto es un llamado para las personas que les gusta leer lo oscuro, lo raro, lo intenso y quieren un libro que les clave los colmillos y no los deje ir.

Un grupo de amigas adolescentes encuentran un lugar donde puede jugar, explorar sus límites y experimentar el dolor. Un lugar donde crean historias y cuentan creepy pastas, hasta que una desaparece y sale a luz lo macabro.

La autora con cada capítulo nos lleva a diferentes momentos de la línea del tiempo y con ello a diferentes puntos de vista y tipos de narración.

Una novela única y extraordinaria, con momentos escalofriantes y repulsivos, una historia que confunde, profundiza e incomoda. Explora la crudeza de crecer, de tratar de encontrarse en las sombras, de la maternidad que se ausenta y de la sexualidad que devora.

Sólo al tratar de escribir una reseña me regresaron las ganas de leerlo y de seguir comprando todo lo que Mónica Ojeda ha escrito.

Recuerden leer los trigger warnings antes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Bullying

ruthypoo2's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual violence, Torture, Mental illness, Death, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Homophobia, Blood, Grief, and Child death