Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

81 reviews

sweetestwindmill's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

I just didn't really vibe with this book, although to be fair I did sort of know going into it that it probably wouldn't be my kind of thing. It's obviously incredibly violent and absolutely full of sex of every description - there's not a single protagonist who isn't sleeping with at least two or three other characters, and the sex is often very violent as well. However, it must be said that although neither extreme violence or extreme sexual content is really my jam, those weren't the issues I had with the book in general! I knew I would encounter them going in, and so I was prepared.

My main problem with this book is that I found nearly every single character spectacularly unlikable at worst, and flatly uninteresting at best (with the exception of Beth, who remains the MVP). In spite of the fast-paced action and constant gut-punching twists, I just didn't really care what happened to them, and in some cases

(yes, I mean you, FRAN)

I was actively rooting against them. 

Add this to the fact that the stream of violence, slurs, transphobia, body horror, torture, sexual assault, organ harvesting and countless other terrible things was so constant that I soon became numb to it and therefore it failed to have the shock value it was designed for, and... well, eh. I just lost interest.

It's a shame, because I did enjoy the central premise. And I know a lot of people really love this book, so maybe it's a skill issue! Horror is never going to be My Thing, and I will always, always prioritise careful character exploration over big exciting plot developments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Murder, Outing, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, and War

Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

thewolvesread's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.0

What an insane book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

oranospepper2816's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

talullahjane's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

heybethrenee's review

challenging dark sad

5.0

My life going forward can be categorized as before Manhunt and after. This book fundamentally changed something within me. I have read queer literature in the past but I have never connected to characters like this. This is such an unflinching depiction of queerness and complicated relationships we have with ourselves and our community. Wow wow wow the characters in this are everything to me, they are flawed and fucked up and selfish and would do anything for each other. The last hundred pages of this book are a wild zombie dystopian ride and I loved every heartbreaking moment of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jojothefool's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this novel and had so much fun listening to it. I’m not a huge apocalyptic genre fan or like war heavy stuff so some parts of this were rough to get through or just not my cup of tea, but this will definitely stick with me for a while and I did enjoy myself. Heed the trigger warnings!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infertility, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

super_bagel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

2.5

Take my opinion with a grain of salt. I have discovered while reading this book that I am not a fan of gore, and that I dont enjoy books with intense sex scenes or interactions that are uncomfortable.  But there are horror fans who would and do  love this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual harassment

fairyollie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I am not one for gore, so I do not fault the book for being gruesome - I knew it would be when I picked it up and decided to read anyway. I am much too squeamish and I think that made it more difficult for me to enjoy, but that is not the book's fault at all. it was also way raunchier than I expected. very very graphic and gruesome. however, it was an emotional, adventurous, challenging, and sometimes fun and humorous book to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

esterie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

" Community is when you never let go of each other. Not even after you're gone. "


heard about this book from a d'angelo wallace video. disturbing, dark, gruesome, uncomfortable, very frustrating characters to read (but that's people eh), but damn if the ending didn't make me sob like a baby. lots to think about re the current sociopolitical climate and trans issues (also fuck terfs)

the only 2 things that really didn't vibe with me:
-the syntax didn't flow smoothly in my brain. that's a me thing, but i did have to reread sentences and sometimes entire paragraphs multiple times bc something just wasnt doing the thing.
-some relationships felt... rushed? like i didnt feel the build up and it left me feeling kinda ehhh about it

(lookin @ beth and Indi)

.


" It wasn't the few who'd cheered that frightened her; it was the rest, watching with guarded expressions, not looking at those among their number who cried Go back to Maryland, you fucking Nazis and Fuck TERFS! The women who looked at each other in a way Beth didn't understand, a way sealed forever within the cold and rigid bounds of cisness but which nonetheless told her without room of doubt that they couldn't leave too soon.

That was what scared her.

The women who stayed silent. "

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Pandemic/Epidemic

katreena's review against another edition

2.5

I feel like the story was very loose and not well put together. Also my my genre so maybe in bias. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Outing, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic