Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Change by Kirsten Miller

74 reviews

jillaay_h's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment

cheye13's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Yet another book that I don't think was pitched to me correctly. I had heard it was a sort of witchy book about post-menepausal women starting a coven and gaining powers. This is not that, but the only disappointment I have about it is I still want to read that book too.

The synopsis is more accurate than the elevator pitch I got. These are adult women (though I wouldn't call them all "middle age") who always sort of had these magic powers, and are just now beginning to embrace and express them after meeting each other and beginning to uncover a conspiracy. Essentially it is much more a crime/mystery/thriller with a little magic than it is a true paranormal.

This book gave me so much more than I expected, and I truly enjoyed it. It's cathartic, angry, vengeful. Satisfying in every way I wanted from it. It was also terribly sad. There's a lot of heavy, tense, and upsetting memories and flashbacks, and the crimes involved in the conspiracy are abhorrent. I did find myself tearing up more than once. But the book's message is clear and vindicating and never once felt exploitative.

I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by this book; this is what I want whenever I pick up something in the "women killing men" genre but rarely ever hope for. This one finally delivers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

essentially an Epstein revenge fantasy; the story is primarily intended as cathartic, but while the majority of the crimes occur off-page, the story does not shy away from acknowledging their occurrence.

The backbone of the plot is a sex-trafficking ring of billionaire men who kidnap, sexually abuse, and kill teen girls. While these specific crimes are never on-page, the fallout and details of them are included.

Knowing this spoiler does not ruin the story in my opinion. There are unpleasant/criminal police characters, but there is not technically police brutality.

lizgo's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

daniomasits's review against another edition

dark 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: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

jbosio's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

Not what I usually read, but it was entertaining. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

ashwaar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

I knew before I started reading that I would love this book. It sounded right up my street. However, the doesn’t mean it was an easy ride. I get very emotionally invested in the books I read, and when I love a story, I really love it. Unfortunately that means I have to take breaks every so often so I don’t get too.. emotional about it.

The Change follows three women: Harriet, Nessa and Jo as they attempt to unravel the identities of the bodies of two young girls they find on the coastline of their local neighbourhood. With chapters dedicated to the experiences and struggles these women have overcome, they find themselves embracing a newer, stronger power as they age, allowing them to protect and take revenge on those doing wrong.

This book was such a fun time, I was immediately hooked on the characters, both protagonists and antagonists. Harriet, Nessa and Jo’s backstories were compelling and understandably frustrating. It’s a bit on the long side and parts of the story could have definitely been edited a bit more, but I like how self-contained this tale of female revenge was. I didn’t think it was ‘man-hating’ at all, there were plenty of strong, well-intentioned male characters, but the story is about violence against, and treatment of, women, so of course it’s going to focus on those topics.

I thought this book was fantastic and covered so many topics surrounding sexism, misogyny and ageism. I would love to see more older characters given the page time they deserve, especially if they’re as great as these three!

Read the review on https://book990337086.wordpress.com/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Death and Kidnapping

smallwonders's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

lorahkay's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This book wants to be a feminist thriller but it often misses the mark. It’s clear the author has not confronted her own implicit beauty and size biases… so, while attempting to invoke post-menopausal bad-assery from her main characters, it’s frequently complicated by her seemingly subconscious devaluation of other women at the same time (e.g. one woman was making “bad” food choices; the same woman, abused and bulimic, would be “pretty again” if she addressed her “grey skin” and “thinning hair”; main characters are **worthy** because they work out and keep their bodies fit, and on and on the list goes quietly criticizing the woman in the background). The plot is mildly interesting but also seems to miss the mark. The ending was obvious from miles away. This book fell flat and kinda pissed me off, tbh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder

blairlovesbooks's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

littlbooknerd's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious reflective medium-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder