Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Julia by Sandra Newman

20 reviews

greylovesbroccoli's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Classism, Drug use, Police brutality, Miscarriage, War, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, and Death of parent

chanimilo's review

challenging dark hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Violence, Gore, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Murder, Vomit, Rape, Gun violence, Excrement, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Classism

red_lapis's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Thoroughly enjoyed this, and would have finished it in days if I'd had the time. 

I was apprehensive of a re-imagining of 1984, but I feel this has been done so well. It does not intrude on the original at all, or even feel like it's "adding" to the story, but it tells us so well the same story from a totally different perspective. By filling in the blanks of the other person, Julia, we get to know so much more of life in Oceania, and crucially we learn how misogyny and gender-issues are used as a weapon in this setting (something that wasn't explored at all in 1984 as far as I remember). As a woman I found it to be sadly relatable at times - none of it felt unrealistic. 

The writing was engaging and captivating. It was definitely more explicit than 1984 in how it discussed sex, genitals etc., but even so it didn't feel over-done or too extreme.

I'd honestly say I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed 1984, and I think this would be a great read even if you haven't read 1984. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Body horror, War, Pregnancy, Abortion, Death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexism, and Torture

Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

kshertz's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is such an interesting perspective. I found myself drawn in by this view of Julia. It’s always so interesting to see different perspectives of the classics. It wasn’t compelling but it was super fascinating. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Animal death

risemini's review

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Blood, Violence, Pregnancy, Death, Police brutality, Sexual content, Torture, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, War, and Death of parent

jaswalsh's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Torture, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

hrcobb's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

This book was tough. I respect it. The content is obviously emotionally difficult to read; it’s not an enjoyable book. But I wanted Julia to succeed and grow! It is hard to not see oneself in her and think about what one would do in her position. A very complicated story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, and War

ferranda's review

dark tense slow-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Torture, Violence, Cursing, Death, Suicidal thoughts, War, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

berdandy's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Self harm, Police brutality, Abortion, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Vomit, War, Excrement, Alcohol, Confinement, Body shaming, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Sexual content

japxican's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Body horror, Abortion, Child death, and Blood

Minor: Suicide, Sexual harassment, War, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Vomit, Violence, and Trafficking