Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

35 reviews

savvylit's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

5.0

Sorrowland is a thrilling and captivating story right from the start. Solomon plunges readers directly into Vern's post-escape world in the woods. The details of Vern's former cult, The Blessed Acres of Cain, are then slowly revealed to the reader in increasingly disturbing flashbacks. Once Vern, Feral, and Howling leave the safety of the land, the story becomes even more riveting. Vern experiences a painful and mysterious physical change. Her evolving form is clearly connected to the cult she left behind - but she doesn't know how or why. Readers join Vern on her voyage of discovery and learn the truth of it all alongside her.

Beyond the engrossing and mysterious plot, Sorrowland is also chock-full of loveable characters. Vern is palpable, nuanced, and relatable. Feral and Howling are adorable and some of the most fully-formed child characters I've ever experienced in fiction. Bridget and Gogo are beautifully portrayed characters whose imperfections make them all the more loveable. Essentially, every single character in this book felt like a real person & now I miss them all.

Last - but not at all least - the thematic content in this book is a delight. Solomon gives us queer love, found family, government conspiracy, cult dynamics, backwoods survivalism, and magical realism. If any of these themes appeal to you, Sorrowland is not to be missed!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Violence, Death, Animal death, Pregnancy, Medical content, Grief, Racism, Medical trauma, Body horror, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

mariebrunelm's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

What. A. Ride. This book is really intense, and had I known it was horror I might not have had the courage to read it, but I'm glad I did. 

Vern is alone in the woods, but not for long. In the first line of the book, she gives birth to her twins while on the run from a cult-like community. It's a story of survival, of evolution, of finding one's worth beyond what one has always been told and snapping free from years of lies. Vern is young, yes, but she's determined and stronger than she looks or even feels. Weirdly stronger.

Rivers Solomon barely lets the readers breathe throughout this modern Gothic novel. When it's not an external threat, it's either the newness of finding / founding a new family or the experience of otherness coming from Vern's own body. Add in there disturbing hauntings, precious twins growing like the best weeds and lesbian love, and there you have a tremendous book.

Rep: Black lesbian albinos genderqueer MC with nystagmus (visual disability), Lakota secondary character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Animal death, Violence, Body horror, and Racism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Self harm

Minor: Sexual violence

mixtercharlie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This is a wonderful book that I would encourage everyone to read in small parts. It deserves to be enjoyed slowly. There is violence but the violence is paramount to the story, even when it’s visceral and upsetting. A book I could read again and again and always take away something new. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Ableism, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Torture, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Death of parent, Genocide, Blood, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Body horror, Religious bigotry, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Self harm

salemander's review

5.0

absolutely brilliant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Confinement, Fatphobia, Grief, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Addiction, Rape, Animal death, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Domestic abuse

savvy999's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Lyrical and haunting, visceral and exacting, sorrowland explores the vast and connected nature of violence, racism, queer identity, motherhood, healing, and memory. In the dissection of the physical experience and the mental toll of a constant chase, Solomon’s  precise and beautiful language pulls the reader in and doesn’t let go until the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Racism, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Body horror

city_girl_writer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Body horror, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Self harm, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Animal death

Minor: Sexual violence

strange_little_ranger's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Gore, Violence, and Death

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Death of parent, Misogyny, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Murder, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Torture, Violence, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content

sharene91's review

adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.75

Loved this journey.  I gave 4.75 stars because

I wish there was of Vern figuring out her physical capabilities, and growing as a mother but I’m happy she achieved self-acceptance in other areas. I wanted more for Howling and Feral. They suffered neglect, jealousy, abandonment, cracked ribs and god knows how much psychological trauma at the hands of their mam. I know the book stressed what strong, smart and capable kids they are but they’re still kids. I suppose Vern was just a kid herself and almost every adult in her life failed her in some way. It’s kinda funny that the only good parental figures were childless or child/free

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Violence, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, and Stalking

eharms3's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual violence

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

I've read The Deep and An Unkindness of Ghosts and this is my new favourite from Rivers Solomon. Fae just keep getting better and better. Sorrowland hits hard. I love Vern and her kids, her relationship with Gogo, it all just feels right. Precisely done.
This book has some of the most meaningful and nuanced queer representation I've ever read. Never once do these characters feel forced or unnatural, they are such complex people who jump off the page and start running for the woods.
Can't wait for their next book, I'm quickly becoming a major fan. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Rape, Death, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Racism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body horror, Terminal illness, and Gun violence

Minor: Suicide

Cult indoctrination