Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

27 reviews

mckenziesbookshelf's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Completely heartbreaking but brilliantly-written story from the perspectives of both Ariadne and her sister Phaedra. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Suicide, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Rape, Violence, Pregnancy, and Confinement

agnela's review against another edition

sad tense medium-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

2.75

I wanted to dnf this so hard! There was a time in my life where I would have loved this, but now I want to read about powerful characters, about joy and life and becoming better. But this story just told you a story about wronged women and men who messed it up for them. I understand it's ancient Greek culture thing, but damn, we, now, can tell those same stories in a better way, we can imagine these characters taking different choices, even if they end up in the same places. We can give them healing and humanity. Plus we can give them a better ending, because now we know there are more endings and more tellings of their stories. It's so not feminist at all. Ariadne makes a few decisions in her whole life, and that's how the story moves. I think she has made maybe 3 or 4 choices, and the plot then just deals with it. 
The book had a gorgeous cover. The translation had some wobbling with genders and adjectives, although the prose was pretty. But the characters needed so much more polishing and building. 
It's not a feminist story if you tell tragic life of a woman from her own perspective. It's not a feminist story to say men use women's labour and have them to point it out themselves. It just means it's female centric, told from a females perspective. 
It got better to the end, maybe last 30%, where both women have a bit more agency and clear motivations rather than being naive horny girls or trying to survive. I loved Pheadra's point of view, you can at least tell the girls had different interests and passions. I was rooting for Pheadra to get more involved with ruling the kingdom, but I guess all those lessons and experiences tought her nothing. It's funny how both sister's stories involve being horny, Ariadne starts and Pheadra ends with it. No yes I know Pheadra just wanted to run away, but I don't really believe it. She had already visited Ariadne and Naxos where women could run away, and she didn't even love her children much, which I love by the way. Being a woman and being able to have a baby doesn't mean you want to, will be a good mom, or have to. Not to mention the trauma they experienced in their own home might have heavily contributed to how Pheadra felt about motherhood. 
Overall I'm really disappointed. I saw this writer had a book about my beloved Hera and i will not be reading that because I know there will be only suffering and agony for my goddess, and I do not deserve to read about it and neither she deserves it to be write about her.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Death, Mental illness, Animal death, Violence, Sexual violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Pregnancy, War, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

lydiawilson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

guys. i am so. Wow. This was 5 stars for me. Theres nothing I love more than a Greek Myth retelling and this DELIVERED. I was thinking about this book constantly during the 2 months it was on my currently reading. 
Some things that stayed in my head rent free:

• the joys of being in the company of other women
• The imperfect sisterly relationship between Ariadne and Phaedra
• The power of a Mother's love for her child with Pasiphae and the Minotaur
• Contrasting different experiences of motherhood with Ariadne being fulfilled and enriched by it and Phaedra struggling with it (hello postpartum depression)
• The question of "What is a righteous man?" being a centering theme. And seeing different examples and failures in Daedalus, Minos, Theseus, Dionysus, Hippolytus, and Perseus. Literally oy, I could write a 20 page essay just centering on this.
• Dionysus talking about why the gods can't love OH MY GOSH!! and!! THE FOLLOW UP TO THAT SPEECH AT THE END HAD ME CRYING ON THE FLOOR.

Anyway. the men in the book are just, a huge disappointment (duh, it's greek myth) (but also Daedalus is excluded from this, he's a perfect angel). BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, it provides suuuuuuuuch a rich meditation on what really makes a good man. I went into this story actually not knowing the myth surrounding Ariadne at all but was so pleased with the way the story unfolded. Just so very my cup of tea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Rape and Domestic abuse

nialiversuch'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, War, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

margaret_k30's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

nick13's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-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

3.0

I had heard several good things about this book so when I decided to read it, I was quite excited. However, I was left quite disappointed as, even for such a short book, it seemed to drag on and on at times about myths that barely pertained to the story and the ending, to me, felt a little lack luster. Overall, it was an okay read with really amazing moments in it but everything between those moments just make my attention wonder elsewhere.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Gore, Death, Domestic abuse, War, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Genocide, Gaslighting, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Rape and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death

tashtasher's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, and Misogyny

maddiebusick's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Animal death, Gore, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, Abandonment, Blood, and Suicide

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, War, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, and Incest

alicia_m_andrews's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Grief, Animal death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Violence, Death, Sexism, Gore, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Incest, and Physical abuse

little_lida's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Suicide

Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Grief