Reviews tagging 'Classism'

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

32 reviews

earl_grey_without_lemon's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

I pretty much read this book in one sitting! It hooks you quickly, and I love the trope of searching for loved ones in thriller/horror. Full of twists and turns that kept me on my toes trying to figure out who took Caroline. I also loved the relationship between Liz and her mother, and the complicated ways that race and class and the way they are both publicly perceived impacted their relationship as mother and daughter (disclaimer that I am not Black, and therefore will miss many of the nuances in this relationship, and with Liz’s relationships with every other character in the book). The POV chapters of all of the girls who had gone missing previously were gripping, and I really liked that they gave life to each of the girls through the brief snapshots we see of them. The prose is easy to read and not overly flowery but effective. Pacing is excellent throughout the book, although I think I would have preferred a more drawn out resolution, and it does feel a little like some of the larger themes (especially regarding the history of the town and the man and his shadow) are not explored as fully throughout the book as they could have been. Overall, a really interesting and good read that had me at the edge of my toes (literally got off work and then read for three and a half hours). Erin E. Adams has crafted a compelling story that weaves horror, history, and social commentary that I would highly recommend and left me for sure interested in reading further works by her!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Racism, and Classism

Minor: Racial slurs and Ableism

carolynkwolff's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Child death, Classism, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence

jane_moriarty's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Child death, Racism, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Classism, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual violence and Rape

Mention of eating disorder only in one flashback chapter, can be skipped

sargasso_c's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.75

This book is a marvel and should be taught in literature classes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcoholism, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Racism, Animal death, Gore, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Stalking, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Vomit, Abortion, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, and Bullying

faithfulgoddess87's review

dark mysterious reflective tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Kidnapping, Racism, Misogyny, Violence, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Classism

widgetknits's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Racism, Stalking, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Child death, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Hate crime, and Murder

Moderate: Blood and Body horror

Minor: Sexual assault

jaymebeetus's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? N/A

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Grief, Racism, Classism, Hate crime, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death and Mental illness

Minor: Rape, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

livlamentloathe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a great story about racism, lost girls, stories, and secrecy. I loved the split between Liz’s POV and the mysterious chapters about all the missing girls. It reminded me a bit of an Alex North novel. But I liked the messy nature of this. The way everything didn’t wrap up prettily and there’s still a lot of unanswered questions. But for once, not in a bad way. In a realism kind of way, where there’s clearly more coming for the characters of this world, but those details don’t matter or take away from what the reader experienced.

Infuriating! But in a well-written way. I hate white people so much. It’s unfortunate to be lumped in with such a defensive, intolerant race. Ugh and cops. ACAB forever. I think Mindhunter season 2 was the first time I truly recognized police inadequacy when bipoc lives are involved. When I was young, I really thought the duty of the police was to protect us. ALL of us!! I miss that level of naivety sometimes cause situations like that of Liz in this book scramble my whole brain. The way she saw things so clearly and the “justice” system can just decide “uh no actually.” I have so much privilege to even acknowledge this as if it’s still new to me. Autistically, I just fucking wish everything would stop and shut down and reboot better. That the system wasn’t built around inequality and instead cops would DO THEIR JOBS. And racism wasn’t learned or inherited but was actually as unlikely as white people expect it to be. I read this back to back with Bad Cree and the whole notion of “we have to do this cause the cops won’t” has been a big theme of the week.

It’s too bad Liz didn’t make a different decision at the end and go tear out the throats of the entire negligent racist police department.

Get wrecked, Doug.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Racism, Child death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, Gore, and Stalking

Minor: Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Colonisation

chefboyavi's review

adventurous 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? Yes

3.0

This is one of those books I wish I could love. It has a strong premise but the writing style didn’t resonate with me. It’s overwritten in a way that makes me feel like the author doesn’t trust the reader to follow her where she wants you to go. I think if it were a bit more restrained, it would be a great book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Violence

kwaeisig's review

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

This book will have you at the edge of your seat! Despite it being fiction, the realities of living life as a Black woman echo throughout the pages. Terrifying, frustrating, and flat out maddening at times, this book will have you talking back to it working alongside the main character to figure it out and snap out of it! 

the white mom being killed is breathtaking and heartbreaking and also pleasant to read in a sad way. She did not believe her black friend when she told her about Black girls and disregarded her daughters blackness when connected to other Black girls that went missing. It was also upsetting because her death garnered more attention than the Black girls gone missing. More attention than her own daughter gone missing. Served her right to die. When you make biracial Black children you cannot choose when to acknowledge their blackness and when to shut them out. It’s unfair and cruel and ultimately set her daughter up to be held captive longer despite her friends thoughts, evidence, etc.

 

This book does not end with a complete “happy ending”. There’s something to be said about small towns across the US that are heavily segregated with many “folk tales”. There are truths in every tale we are told if we take time to decipher them and trace their origins. 

I will be purchasing a copy of this book for my personal library, I loved it so much! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Child abuse, Classism, and Grief

Moderate: Blood, Torture, Rape, Mental illness, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Cursing