Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas

17 reviews

leanneymu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

A great piece of dark historical fiction about the ways in which men suppress, abuse and minimise women, using an insane asylum in 19th Century Paris as the setting, while also reflecting on themes of misogyn in modern culture. A content note for rape/sexual abuse, but it felt incredibly relevant to the story to include these issues. It honestly reminded me a little of Orange is the New Black, in terms of the incarceration of women, all of whom are victims of circumstance and/or the men around them. 
In terms of the writing style, I found the jumping between past and present tense quite jarring in places, but it was obviously a stylistic choice, rather than sloppy writing.

 Bonus drinking game: take a drink every time the author mentions the word 'chignon'. You'll be very drunk by the end of the book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Misogyny

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

🎵“But no one likes a mad woman

What a shame she went mad

You made her like that”🎵 ~Taylor Swift, Mad Woman

Yes I thought of the above quoted song as I read this book 😂 I was pulled in right away and didn’t want to put it down! Loved the writing style- it’s written in third person and focuses on 3 women’s experiences/inner thoughts. 

Due to the length of the novel, it was a short and quick read! The characters are well developed and have their own unique voice. Given the setting, the story is dark and heart wrenching but has a small glimmer of hope by the end.

Overall it was an interesting exploration of feminism and spiritualism in 1800s Paris! My only “complaint” was I wish the book was longer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Misogyny

Moderate: Incest, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Pedophilia

Minor: Child death and Suicide attempt

lauramparis's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Physical abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual violence

daisymayl's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

The first chapter didn't grab me, but the second chapter definitely did and I really really enjoyed this up until the final chapter. If the ending had been better then this would have been a 4 but the ending just felt rushed and fell flat for me. The ball was barely a chapter in the book as well, despite the book being named after it. I think I wanted this to be a bit longer so that it could be more properly fleshed out towards the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Confinement, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse

mgordon3118's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Self harm, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Ableism

thelassinlinen's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

els97's review

challenging dark sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Ableism, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, and Blood