Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

14 reviews

ominousspectre's review against another edition

3.0

Huh...this is one of those where I have no idea how I feel.

This was well written, if a bit heavy handed at times (

the confrontation with Jaidee and Bryan's friends especially felt a bit buzzwordy.

). 

I think where this was a question mark for me is that it's completely misrepresented in its marketing. This isn't a horror novel, it's a literary, character driven thriller. Not a bad thing, but very different expectations. Social horror requires certain aspects that this doesn't have. The full contact haunted house is barely a part of the story, to the point where it felt as though you could sub any situation in and still get the point across. Honestly, seeing the description and date of publishing made me immediately think of McKamey Manor, so I was expecting a bit more shade toward that shit show.

Anyways, there were parts that were very poignant. Boonsri's scenes especially hit an emotional place for me, as well as Kendra's in different ways. Jaidee and Leonard's descent into

white supremacy

was well written enough that it made me feel really angry and exhausted. Which I think is what the author was going for, mutual feelings of anger and exhaustion. 

Did I have a good time though? :/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Emotional abuse

bebidocrimes's review

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The summary for this book, while not exactly misleading, is a lot flashier than what is presented in text. A murder happens in a full contact haunted escape room, but the real meat of the story is the characters' backgrounds, and what led each of them into this situation. It takes a look at the toxicity of sexism, racial fetishism, and entitlement. I really enjoyed the concept of the Quigley House as a whole, even if I'm too chicken to set foot in a place like that, and I'm imagining how vindicated the characters who condemned the attraction from the beginning must feel. Overall, a good read even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Death, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol, Car accident, Death of parent, and Body horror

ouijabroad's review

fast-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

1.5

This book had me hooked in the beginning, but ultimately it didn’t accomplish anything. I think tackling racism in horror (as there IS a lot in horror genre) could have been meaningful,  but in this case it just didn’t accomplish anything.

As others have said,

I still don’t understand John’s obsession with Bryan or his motive for killing him. I don’t understand how it benefited him in any way…if anything it hurt him since the Quigley House couldn’t stay open after the murder.

Also, LOTS of fatphobia. Anyone described as beautiful or good looking is always thin, but anyone who is in a larger body we need to be reminded all the time that they are large and jiggle etc etc especially when it came to Rae. An unlikeable fat character who talks about food???? How original. 

This author talks about racism, stereotyping and xenophobia, but I think he needs to examine his own biases.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Car accident, Death of parent, Blood, Body shaming, Homophobia, Murder, Stalking, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Cancer and Adult/minor relationship

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Racism, and Misogyny

d3nim_diva's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Homophobia, Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, and Torture

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-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

3.0

I was definitely expecting something different when I started this book. If I had realised it was more literary I don't think I would have been as disappointed as I was with this. 

Overall I think it was a good book but it wasn't really a horror and my expectations were all wrong. I didn't find sympathy for any of the characters except maybe Kendra and think she could have done this a bit more at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Gore, Blood, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Body shaming and Fatphobia

mxajlikesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Homophobia, Violence, Body horror, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Gore, Infidelity, and Alcohol

thecoolestmoe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Homophobia

carolncc_'s review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Torture

Moderate: Racism, Homophobia, Bullying, Misogyny, and Death of parent

mangofandango's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

he blurb on the inside flap is...strangely intense, and the quote on the cover - a American classic to be? A story about a full contact haunted house that is actually an incisive exploration of race, capitalism, sexism etc in America? I sort of chuckled at those statements. I don't know about American classic to be, but ok, it really is a story about a full contact haunted house that explores race, capitalism, sexism/misogyny, and more. It's not a horror story, it's more of a cultural critique with Halloween makeup on. Some of it was so difficult to sit with, and it wasn't the parts in the house - Leonard's entire storyline and characterization was so cringe, chilling and scary all by itself that it would have felt horrific even without the rest of it. 
I wasn't sure when I started, but by the second half of the book I was absorbed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder