Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood

14 reviews

pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

0.5

As a fairytale girlie, I specifically chose this book to be the first book I read in 2024. To start off the year with something that I would fall in love with and there many aspects of this book that were great. But it ultimately fell incredibly flat. As mentioned by many others, the insane amount of plot holes, the potential they had!! The open ending . . . what? I understand wanting to leave the ending open to interpretation, but considering the rest of the book, it just didn't work. Most importantly, the main character . . . how power hungry or fool heardy (or both) do you have to be in order to completely ignore the reality of your situation. How cold hearted do you have to be, to continue on despite the lethal cost of your choices.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Classism, Sexism, Physical abuse, Animal death, Child death, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Homophobia

haljonesy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

user8432's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Death

Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Child death

jo_d's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Started and finished this book in less than 24 hours it was so good.
Cinderella retelling: imagine if Ella Enchanted met Oliver Twist and was written by Mary Shelley. The book does a really good job of reverse character growth, and really ropes you into cheering for someone

who by the end makes some horrible decisions that mean she justifies murder for the sake of personal gain

Had me at the edge of my seat the entire time and could hardly put it down. Excellent reworking of the classic tale in a completely different light. The themes of the corruption of power and the justification of horrid actions by someone who believes they deserve better is just *chefs kiss*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Vomit, and Abortion

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Injury/Injury detail

amalyndb's review against another edition

3.5

I need to remember that I do not enjoy Gothic novels in November with SAD.

This is very much a Gothic novel, the slow descent from reality into unraveling. It is well done, just not my cup of tea 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Death, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Classism, Gore, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Vomit, Incest, Murder, Child abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Miscarriage

wnyreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book has a lot of promise that it’s ending didn't quite live up to. If there are following books in the works, that might explain the unfinished feeling this book gave me. As a standalone, however, it didn’t quite work.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Death, and Emotional abuse

emily_bg's review against another edition

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Sexual harassment

daturaa's review

Take a shot for every time Ella mentions she has wishes. The author repeatedly raises the stakes only to dismantle them by bringing up that Ella has wishes that can save her from anything and everything— Once these are available to her, I'm not exaggerating when I say the author has to remind you in every. single. paragraph. 

Interesting premise, but it gets watered down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, and Incest

wordswitwonder's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Classism, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Pedophilia

Minor: Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy

dontwritedown's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.5

Wishes, wishes, wishes....this book takes a look at what can happen, not only if you aren't careful with them but also the damage it can do to those around you.

It's a nice retelling of Cinderella, except the Fairy Godmother is evil, the stepfather is evil, and there are no stepsisters, just a stepbrother that knocks Ella up, and a couple of lesbian maids.

Honestly this book works both as a standalone or the first books in a series of retellings.

Definitely worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Murder, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis