Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Brother by Ania Ahlborn

34 reviews

tarantulagirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Vomit, Torture, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Death of parent, Gore, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Incest, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Confinement

snowiceblackfruit77's review

dark hopeful sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Alcohol, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Addiction, Hate crime, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Stalking, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Kidnapping, Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Grief, Gaslighting, Incest, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, and Vomit

karissa_bush's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Kidnapping, Rape, Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, and Child abuse

eusteph's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I had extremely low expectations for this book because I've been having the *worst* luck with books I find through tiktok, but I'm happy to say this book is the outlier.

This book was fast-paced, despite its dark and gory contents. I couldn't see the major twist coming, so that's also good. I also liked that the story didn't have a cookie-cutter ending. This is the type of book that leaves you on the edge of your seat. While I wouldn't say the story was necessarily scary it is anxiety-inducing enough to be compared to a blockbuster horror movie. 

For obvious reasons I don't think I would want to re-read this, but I definitely want to read more from this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Cannibalism, Bullying, Confinement, Incest, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Gore, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Rape

emmamee11's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, Gore, Religious bigotry, Torture, Physical abuse, Animal death, Sexism, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Cannibalism, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

sarah_mcmullan_nz's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Dark & super disturbing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Murder, Pedophilia, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Death, Physical abuse, Gore, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Blood, Gaslighting, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Violence

aleen_elizabeth's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gore, Body shaming, Cancer, Incest, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cannibalism, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Vomit, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Sexual harassment, and Violence

sabubufu's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

You either love this book or you hate it to the core, whether it's the predictability or the fact it's one big trigger warning. Personally, I loved it. Well, Love is a strong word. It's closer to say that it stuck with me even after my audiobook ran out. It's gross, messed up, and full of evil, but Ania Ahlborn has a great writing style that jives with me. (Seed was great and way more accessible.) I loved to hate the main antagonist, and simply hated the rest, even when the text gives reason for all the depravity. I JUST wish the ending gave some reprieve, but the story just gets worse and worse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Physical abuse, Death, Blood, Violence, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Kidnapping and Cannibalism

Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, Rape, Pedophilia, and Homophobia

It's hard to track all the content warnings. It's a messed up book. Dead Dove, Do Not Eat.

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I am devastated that I'll never get to experience this book for the first time again. 

I went into Brother thinking that I had the big twist spoiled for me, and woo was I wrong. The characters are so well written that it made me physically uncomfortable at times - and the duel point of view is both disturbing and truly heart breaking. We have the birth of a serial killer on one side, explaining the world through his trauma and perception, then we have Michael and his battle against his own morality and the bonds of blood. Phenomenal writing, and an absolutely devastating story. I'm honestly glad that it didn't end with a pretty bow - it couldn't have ended in a better way.

While this is gruesome and pretty bloody at points, I would not consider it over the top or anywhere near splatterpunk territory. Check your trigger warnings and you should be fine. This is mainly a story of love and loss, and what it means to be family - kind of. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death of parent, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A true horror novel.
Not for the faint of heart, this book is frighteningly realistic, with suspense and tension keeping you hovering on the edge of your seat the whole time. 

Probably the only reason I wouldn't call it 5 stars?

The absolutely infuriating and abrupt non-ending.</spoilers>

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Abandonment, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Murder, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Stalking, Alcoholism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail