Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

34 reviews

snazzy_suze'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? It's complicated

5.0

The book absolutely haunted me. As an avid horror reader, I'm typically pretty unfazed - I enjoy the thrill of a spooky book, but when I put it down I'm done being spooked. Hex was NOT like that. Trying to solve the mystery of Katherine's motives drove me absolutely insane. I had nightmares, I saw omens everywhere. This book is SPECIAL. If you are a horror lover, this will not disappoint you.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault and Forced institutionalization

sugarbucky's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

INCREDIBLY CHILLING and DAMN ORIGINAL!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and Religious bigotry

jilly_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I DEVOURED this book. I rarely get this enthusiastic about new horror and this was just *chef’s kiss* perfection. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Abortion, and Death of parent

dan_tee's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

A lot of good stuff in this book. For the pure horror, the author builds tension well and holds it across many pages at a time. It makes you want to know more, even as you're peeking through your fingers. 

It has some interesting themes m, though I'm not sure the author knew what they wanted to say with some of them. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Islamophobia

Minor: Homophobia

A couple of descriptions stick out as offensive/out of place. It's helpful to remember this was written 10+ years ago, and the author is not endorsing homophobic or islsmophonic views, merely using characters with these virws to solidify who these bigots were and what they thought.

dreamofbookspines's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

EXTREMELY scary. The phrase "banality of evil" kept coming to mind. Sometimes the tone or phrasing was odd but that may be a translation artifact.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

_sappho_wannabe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

the most disturbing book i’ve ever and might ever read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, and Child abuse

Minor: Homophobia

turtleofhades's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

This book. This book is gonna leave me with nightmares for the next little while.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

kimberlyswalters's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense 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

4.75

I struggled to put this book down every evening. I was hooked from the very beginning, but also too scared to let myself finish it quickly. I suffer from stress hallucinations and would rather not risk seeing Katherine in my bedroom, so smaller doses of this nightmarish read were necessary. I rated it 4.75/5 because I still have a few questions I want answered and it bugs me that I'll never know the answers to them, and I do think answering some of them would benefit the storytelling. I understand that not everything has to be explained in full detail, but I don't like having as many questions as I do. I still would highly recommend reading this. A story this fun and haunting is worth the extra questions. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement and Car accident

victoriarose12's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

breakingbridgesastheyburn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Child death

Moderate: Animal death and Child abuse