Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Särmikäs Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

177 reviews

racheltheripper's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

korimunroe's review against another edition

4.25

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Xenophobia

sakimomma's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence

stellabrannon's review against another edition

4.75

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail

nias90's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Could not put this book down! So well written and just made you want more! Few twists and turns. Makes you think about the characters and I imagine readers will have different opinions on them! 
Would be an excellent book to read and discuss as part of a book club! 
Gave 4.75 only because there was some parts I struggled to read with having a young daughter I found it difficult at times. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence

laurajaynet13's review against another edition

2.5

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent

catell's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is my new favourite book. I LOVED every single page 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol

lavanyasbooks's review against another edition

4.0

dark sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It’s one of the strangest darkest books I have ever read. Containing every trigger one can think of it’s a difficult read but I finished it in a day only because I couldn’t stop wondering what’s going to happen next. 

I have rated it four stars for the sheer gumption of the author to come up with such a difficult story that evokes such pathos and yet making you sympathise with dark characters who in principle do not deserve your sympathy. 

I just had a problem with the ambiguous ending but I guess this story couldn’t have ended any other way. 

Go into it blind but prepared your heart to be broken. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment

patch22's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 26%

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Too traumatizing and I can take a lot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy

chelleanne's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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 Having just put down Strange Sally Diamond, I have mixed feelings about this book. The story centres on a middle-aged Sally, who has spent her life struggling to fit in.  After the death of her adoptive father, Sally discovers that key events from her past have been kept from her. These events go a long way to explaining why Sally is the way she is. The story then follows Sally as she tries to build a life for herself and cope with all that has happened.

A caution before heading into this book. It does explore some dark themes, including extreme childhood trauma. If that’s not for you, give this book a miss.

Things I enjoyed about this book-

- the underlying premise for the book was great. It allows the reader to unpick the core mystery of who Sally is and what happened to her in a really natural and unique way.
- I enjoyed watching the small adjustments that Sally made to her life. It was fascinating to watch her grow and falter as a character.
- the flawed nature of so many characters. They often act in complex and unlikable ways, but are also relatable

-The ending,

whilst it was sad to see Sally’s decline and her alienation from those in the community, it felt somehow right. Sally had endured to much to get a happily ever after.

Things I didn’t love-
- it’s a small thing, but

Sally’s first meeting with Mark felt out of character for both of them. The fact the Sally meets with Mark alone in and unfamiliar environment was difficult to believe. Added to this, Sally displays a level of emotional self awareness that isn’t consistent with her prior or subsequent behaviour. During this meeting, Mark goes from having stalked Sally for months and being obsessed with Sally and using information from Sally to find Geary to being seemingly reasonable. It felt off for for both characters.

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Tom being outed as physically abusive towards Jean at the end of the book, seemed an unnecessary twist. He was already a flawed father. He allowed Sally to remain isolated, did little to prepare her for life after his death and  his approach to Sally and her treatment and past were driven by his own ego,. This twist turned him from a nuanced and deeply flawed character to a villain.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent