Reviews tagging 'Lesbophobia'

Särmikäs Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

41 reviews

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

alessandrams's review against another edition

4.5

dark funny 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Pregnancy

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Medical content, Death of parent

Minor: Chronic illness, Infertility, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Car accident, Lesbophobia, Alcohol

lavenderwitch's review against another edition

3.75

dark funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic

its_jennyybean's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Lesbophobia

laurinbren's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia

mysteriesandhistories's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was recommended to me in Waterstones and I kind of wish it hadn’t been. Well written and plotted, undoubtedly. But relentlessly disturbing and without a chink of redeeming light. It’s upset me quite a lot actually. Which is a sign of the author’s talent, but not an experience I’d care to repeat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia

cheryl_gager's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This book took me by surprise in more than one way. The synopsis does not hint at how dark the themes of this book are and when it is revealed at the start of part 2 (just under 100 pages in) it is shocking. I think the themes are tackled in a way that is easily digestible as there is a level of detachment from a lot of the most traumatic, disturbing moments (which were off page) didn't happen to the characters whose POVs we get. I loved Sally as a character, the growth she had and the inner turmoil she faced made her POV heartbreaking and heart warming all at once. I got frustrated with the side characters around her because they expected her to be understanding to things and others but it was not always reciprocated and she was never truly given the benefit of the doubt and treated like her choices mattered, especially if she made them on her own. The other POV was more heartbreaking. This is a story of how a negative cycle of behaviour can start (I am using negative but it is not even close to how dark somethings got) and how the cycle continues but I feel like there is hope at the end of the potential for these generational cycles to be broken.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent

Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic

This has a lot darker themes then the synopsis would suggest. You do read about a child being kidnapped and held in a looked room. You also can work out what is going on in the room where the 2 different women were held (one of which you meet after they have been there for 7 years already), and it does eventually being said / confirmed later in the book. However, you do not actually see what happens to these poor girls/women in this situation and you are reading about it from someone who never witnessed the worst of it. There is one racist character but they are confronted and challenged straight away and they face consequences which are so fitting. The book ends at the start of the 2020 pandemic so there is brief mention of it existing but no real detail about what it is or the effects. Mental health and trauma is also discussed and you do read transcripts from the first victim / person kidnapped, whilst in a psychiatric ward in the lead up before she commits suicide.

ta_ma_ra_gj's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical trauma

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol

Minor: Lesbophobia

emlibe's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Lesbophobia

nicolestegall's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Although this was a tough read, I could not put it down. And could not stop thinking about the characters. This will stay with me a very long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Confinement, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment