Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

31 reviews

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Child death, and Racism

Moderate: Alcohol, Torture, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Cursing, Murder, Bullying, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Excrement, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Confinement, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Body shaming, Hate crime, and Sexual assault

silverwings95's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Violence, and Racism

Minor: Stalking, Suicide, Sexual assault, Vomit, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

odylics's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

If you have ever heard "if you see something in the woods, no you didn't" or "if something calls your name, ignore it" OR if you like spooky books, Appalachian myths, murder mysteries, and honest looks at race and class... This book is for you. I have never read a book quite like this or fell for a protagonist quite like Liz. 

Please be sure to check the TWs. This book was uncomfortable and sad and scary, but necessary for the horror/thriller space. It centers around Johnstown, PA and the long reach of the Johnstown Flood, which I had never heard of before despite it resulting in the deaths of 2,208 people, with much of the blame placed at the feet of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and and Andrew Mellon. The flood left physical lines of separation between classes and races in Johnstown, all connected by the woods and the disappearance of the many young Black girls at the heart of this story.

5/5 stars!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Animal death, Child death, Hate crime, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Police brutality, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Gore, and Racism

horourke's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

3.5

“Jackal” is a fast-paced horror novel exploring the mythology of Appalachia and the country’s history of racism and Black displacement. Primarily a tale of shape-shifting monsters in the woods, “Jackal” also explores the dangers of white (and especially white male) jealousy and the violence of white supremacy. Adams deftly merges Appalachian folklore with lived experiences of Black people in rural areas, tying together the history of her hometown with mystical, monstrous elements of the horror genre. 

My one major critique is that the differing points of view were confusing at times. Although there were brief vignettes exploring all the missing girls, I wish the novel explored their stories more in depth. Found a few typos and inconsistencies within the text, but overall was very compelled by this novel. It’s not as “literary” as what I usually read, but was a welcome change of pace. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Child death, Death, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

bunnybones's review

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Gore, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Stalking, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Body horror, Alcoholism, Torture, Racism, Domestic abuse, Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, Hate crime, Gore, and Classism

michaelion's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

This is the hardest review I've ever had to write.

This is the best book I've ever read.

This is the hardest review for me because I don't know what to say. I don't know how to say it all. It's too good. I can't talk about the amazing writing, the beautiful imagery, the twists the turns I fell for every time. It's so personal. It's everything I've ever been looking for. Not even a quarter of the way through I was recommending it to people. Please, please, do yourself a favor, please, read this masterpiece. Buy this masterpiece. Listen to the audio of this masterpiece! Thank me later. I love you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Genocide, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Violence, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death of parent, Racism, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Animal cruelty, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Gore, Grief, and Stalking

Moderate: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Body horror, and Bullying

Minor: Eating disorder, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

nicoleisalwaysreading's review

adventurous 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

5.0

incredible!!!! defies genre boundaries and is provocative, creative, and brilliantly structured. i wanted to read it again already right after finishing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Classism, Grief, Mental illness, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Racism

mondovertigo's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Murder, Gore, Animal death, Child death, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Pedophilia

amandas_bookshelf's review

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, and Domestic abuse