Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen

36 reviews

eedle_cacleberry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Homophobia, Murder, and Outing

Moderate: Grief, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Confinement

quercine's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

I am not easily surprised in mysteries. I usually have them figured out by the end of the first act. This one kept me guessing. The story focuses on true to reality queer struggles while remaining hopeful and determined. Themes include community versus isolation, queer perseverance, and loyalty. The protagonist is flawed but lovable, and I loved seeing him grow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Alcoholism, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Classism

plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Though this was a good book, one I did enjoy reading, it’s also one that seems weaker as I continue to think about it. What made for an intriguing premise was, unfortunately, a rather anticlimactic story. There was a whole lot of talking about not a lot of doing, and come the end of the book, the explanations for everything felt flimsy. Maybe it’s on me for wanting a thriller from what’s clearly a mystery, but I feel like mysteries should still have some elements of drama and intensity. I didn’t get that here.

I did like the characters, though, and there’s just… There’s something uniquely compelling to me, as a queer person, about queer historical fiction. No matter how difficult it can be to read, to see the horrifying ways our predecessors were treated and the heartbreaking lengths they had to go to for their own safety, there’s something to be said about seeing that we’ve always been here, and we’ve always persisted. That’s what these characters do, too—persist.

So, yeah. Some things worked for me in this book, others didn’t, but overall, I did like it, and I do want to read the second book. I want to see more of Andy and the Lavender House family, and hopefully, I’ll really like it.

Representation:

• gay protagonist
• Mexican lesbian side character
• bisexual Jewish side character
• sapphic side characters
• achillean side characters (one is also Filipino)
• sapphic side couples (f/f)
• achillean side couple (m/m)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Police brutality

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Religious bigotry and Confinement

All things tagged graphic are explicitly on-page, in the form of various homophobic slurs, the protagonist being severely beaten for being queer, and the protagonist thinking numerous times about a suicide plan. He never does follow through, but it’s there all the same. Things tagged minor are in relation to a side character’s backstory, briefly mentioned in one chapter near the end of the book.

urlocalrachael's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime and Homophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexism, Outing, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Abandonment

lindsayerin's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Lesbophobia, Violence, Death, and Outing

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

fionamclary's review against another edition

3.25

Overall I liked it. I always enjoy queer historical fiction, and the concept was unique and intriguing. However, it didn't always feel like it was set in the 50s in terms of the narration and dialogue. Also, I got the sense that Rosen was afraid of making any of the queer characters too villainous or even too flawed. I wish in particular that the moral conflict of Andy being a gay cop had been further explored and been a more consistently incorporated thread throughout the book. Instead, it got some occasional mentions and slightly awkward, start-and-stop moments of reflection. Maybe I shouldn't expect more from a murder mystery though. I might read the second book, mostly because I want to see

Andy get a chance at romance with the hot bartender

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Homophobia, Confinement, Outing, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

birdomens's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Great murder mystery combined with exploring the queer experience in 50s San Francisco and the concept of found family. Great fun as a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Violence, Confinement, Homophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

cadence99's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Not groundbreaking, but certainly enjoyable- a fast paced, quick read that will satisfy a craving for a mystery book. (Definitely do take note of content warnings though as this does take on some tough subjects!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Suicide, Outing, Police brutality, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Minor: Medical content

smalika's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Suicide, Animal death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Confinement

leanniefae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Biphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, and Outing

Minor: Blood, Animal death, Gun violence, Grief, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, War, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, and Cursing