Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Southern Gothic - Das Grauen wohnt nebenan by Grady Hendrix

204 reviews

marieeveparentroy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infidelity

maxattack's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

“He thinks we’re what we look like on the outside: nice Southern ladies. Let me tell you something…there’s nothing nice about Southern ladies.” 

See content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Animal death and Fire/Fire injury

Re: antisemitism — a young boy forms an obsession with Hitler and the Nazis, which is treated by his family members as a morbid fascination and a source of annoyance rather than a major concern. There are no blatant acts of antisemitism, and apparently the boy grows out of his fascination, although he remains a major edgelord. There are themes of racism throughout, as this is set in 1990’s American Southern suburbia. I don’t believe that racist or antisemitic behaviors are being promoted in this book, but of course read with caution.

alexandramiller's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This felt reckless and irresponsible on so many levels, none of them necessary

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

ewinnk's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

hxlleann's review against another edition

challenging inspiring mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Gaslighting

2haileyyb's review against another edition

dark funny 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

4.0

This book is kinda weird but it kept me wanting to read more. I also think it’s should have been set in the 50s/60s because just how it goes about racial disparities reminded me more of that time. Not to say racism and classism didn’t still exist.

I also didn’t like slicks sexual assault like why in order to transform people it has to be like that, just for it to end up killing her bffr. Also the description of his “fangs” or whatever had my kinda confused cause it like retracts and then he sucks for the leg? Idk again weird yet fascinating

I also loved all the housewives bond at the end how they come together despite the circumstances and their dumbass husbands.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Classism

mantnam's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Loved it. While I didn't rate the characters as "loveable" I was still really invested in them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

The rape was described by a character after it occurs but it's still heavy and features intense body horror. The racism is not swept under the rug, is is explicitly dealt with.

cassie7e's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Will fully review after thinking on it. But MAN the men in this book are insufferable!

TW: Sexual assault, death, torture (kinda),  gore

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Animal death, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Racism

hdrb's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Sexual content and Forced institutionalization

whatthegayle's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

“Think of us what you will, she thought, we made mistakes, and probably scarred our children for life, and we froze sandwiches, and forgot carpool, and got divorced. But when the time came, we went the distance.

This book took me longer to read than I thought it would. I had to take a lot of breaks between reading, but it was well worth it in the end.

The woman characters were wonderful and I loved how they were all middle aged. The men absolutely sucked, and I hated all their husbands.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read about southern woman killing a vampire! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Stalking

the dog dies but it’s peacefully at the end of the book