Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Reprieve by James Han Mattson

19 reviews

frmeden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Racism, Homophobia, Gore, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death of parent

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

soph_solberg's review

dark mysterious tense

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Bullying and Homophobia

solanacr's review

dark mysterious sad medium-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? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Homophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Body horror, and Death

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

apersonfromflorida's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Blood, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content

sunsetcity's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, Gore, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Medical content, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, and Death

kylieqrada's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

Ok what in the actual Lord Jesus Hallelujah was THAT MESS?!?!?!? First of all, I could not put it down. I devoured it in like 3 sittings. Second, it scared the everloving pants off of me. I was very thankful for the breaks I got to sike myself up for the next cell. Third, the social commentary/social horror element of this was just everything. It was so worth scaring the sh!t out of myself to experience this. Life truly is the real horror. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Violence