Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

18 reviews

zephyrlestrange's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.0

As a trans person, this book just absolutely missed the mark for me in so many ways.
Obvious criticisms (ham fisted self loathing, gender criticism, various -phobias and absolutely bizarre reduction of what could have been very interesting characters) aside, I found the pace and narration jarring, perplexing and glacial. The language was convoluted, writing paragraphs of how the scene looks but absolutely zero context with the people within it, I found myself having to double back a number of times to remember whose perspective it was because other than random name drops, you have no clue. 
I don’t know what it is about “it’s an apocalypse” that turns every character into a self loathing mope, juxtaposed with the one dimensional personalities. I thought the depiction of the women came across as Gooner level sex obsessed losers, and the single trans man in the book was petulant, whiny and self obsessed. 
I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to explore intersexuality but the author was much too busy writing some of the most depressingly fatphobic drivel, I finished this book out of pure spite to be able to make a well informed “this fucking sucked” review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, and Medical content

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

scandalabra's review

challenging tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A great read, though not for everyone. The authors writing is very evocative, really bringing you into the world. As a post-viral breakout world, it's not the happiest place to be. There are vivid descriptions of death, so as long as you're alright with that, I recommend this book. Always check the trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexual content, Transphobia, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Medical content, and Religious bigotry

erindb's review

dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Deadnaming, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Cancer, Genocide, Gun violence, Infertility, Slavery, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Police brutality

crimsonreadlips's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

theofanis's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

READ IT

Are you a leftist, are you a trans ally, do you want to be a trans ally, do you think you’re a trans ally, are you trans, are you genderqueer, are you part of the lgbtq community, do you want an inside look to a part of the trans experience?

READ THIS BOOK

I will be thinking about this book for the rest of my life. It’s terrifying and amazing and so impactful. 

As a trans guy reading the pov of a fictional hot cool and strong trans guy with a similar background was awesome. And the trans female leads are so powerfully written. 

It’s just such an amazing book and it’s gotta be my favorite fiction I’ve ever read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Murder, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infertility, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

caughtbetweenpages's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

I mean, just fucking incredible. This book is not for the faint of heart, and if body horror isn't for you, keep away. Otherwise, if you can read through the trigger warning list and still feel okay to pick Manhunt up, I feel like this book should be required reading. I didn't realize what a perfect backdrop a sexed and gendered bio-apocalypse would be for the exploration of womanhood, but goddamn if it isn't. Also, any book wherein JK Terfling gets mauled in a castle of privilege by a zombie TERF friend of hers is a good book imo.

The bloody, beating heart of this story is the relationship between Fran and Beth, for me. There's a very specific sort of sisterhood they share, one full in turns with unwavering support, bone-deep jealousy, secret disdain, shared shame, and deep, complex love that kept Fran sympathetic even in her worst times (i.e.

treating with the TERF army on behalf of a classist, murderous nepo-baby because she passes for cis where Beth is forced into sex work where she has to playact a man

)... okay, in retrospect, maybe she wasn't all that sympathetic. But Beth loved her all the same, so I did, too.

Reading this felt like being on a rollercoaster. Not necessarily in terms of ups and downs, but in the sense that when you get off a ride that makes your heart pound, you are more predisposed to loving the person you were on the ride with. The bonds between these people, growing and strengthening and breaking, set against a breakneck plot/backdrop of a rapidly approaching genocide against trans women by a TERF army was an absolute thrill. I will be reading more from this author (and I will be doing so on an empty stomach, because goddamn does she know how to turn your stomach with a well placed description). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Police brutality, Cannibalism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

sydneynorman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Self harm, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Deadnaming

audrilou's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I adore this book. The ending had me heaving big heavy sobs for minutes. Its a dark dark read, especially if you are trans. Because of that closeness, I felt so much more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

klwilby's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Dark, gruesome, and unflinching. I don’t read much horror but I could not put this book down. There was beautifully, brutally complex relationships throughout — I will say I would’ve loved to spend even more time with the three main characters, particularly Robbie. I’ll also say that I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this book. It seems many readers violently missed the point of this book, or simply find depictions of queer bodies and intimacy to be inherently more graphic than cishet bodies and intimacy. Don’t let that stop you from picking this (admittedly bloody) gem. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Cannibalism, Outing, War, and Injury/Injury detail