Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Madam by Phoebe Wynne

20 reviews

leafy_literature's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I genuinely got so sucked in to this book. I thought each character seemed very realistic, and the writing was great; though there were definitely some words I could tell the author liked, lol. I didn't see coming what the premise of the school was, and I am so glad that was revealed in a timely enough manor where we could get some resolution - I feel like a lot if books I read lately are 300 pages of build up with 50 pages of plot/climax. I've already been recommending this book to friends. Great read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, and Classism

ajay913's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Chronic illness, Vomit, Trafficking, Abortion, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

a1exander's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Body shaming, Abortion, and Death of parent

megelizabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

This book does subtle, slow-building creepiness really, really well. It's unsettling right from the start, but it takes a while for things to fall into place, and I didn't see the ending coming at all and felt like I'd been hit by a truck. There's a lot of really great commentary and I definitely think this book does a good job of highlighting the insidiousness of misogyny and specifically male power within elite institutions. I did feel at times that the points being made or the main character's reactions to things happening didn't quite go far enough, and the 'truth' behind the school didn't go in the direction I expected it to and that sort of spun me out a bit, but as I said, the ending hit me like a truck and I did feel as if overall this book was really well-done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Incest and Abortion

gondorgirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Stalking, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

dollhousebooks's review

dark mysterious reflective 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Bullying and Fire/Fire injury

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Medical content, and Abortion

Minor: Death of parent

abbiemreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming and Abortion

fortunavhs's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-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? No

This book in theory had all the components to make me love it - I got on very well with the writing style and adored the setting. I mostly enjoyed the slow pace, but the time between the reveal of the twist and the climax of the story felt too drawn out, and then the ending itself very rushed.

This book ends with an exceptionally bleak ending. It's not for you if you're looking for a story about overcoming misogynistic institutions.

I was especially unsettled by the ending, not that being unsettled is a bad thing! But by killing off so many characters simultabeously  the impact just didn't really sink in, and I'm genuinely quite distressed that most of the girls Rose tried to save died. I don't mind sad endings but I was genuienly disturbed by the fact that a character who had been groomed and sexually abused by her teacher died with him. Also, I'm getting frustrated that the inclusion of LGBT characters in so many books these days is for them to be a supporting character who suffers and gets a miserable ending/death that's contrasted with the heterosexual lead surviving or getting a happily ever after.

I didn't mind the 90s setting at all, though I see some reveiwers did - I think the explicit assocations to the breakdown of Charles' and Diana's marrage was really interesting. The interludes of prominent women in Greek/Roman culture were a fantastic touch!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia and Fire/Fire injury