Reviews tagging 'Gore'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

33 reviews

hazelwood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Octavia Butler would have loved this, I think. The characters are so so realistic! The neurodivergent representation! The gender nonconformity! The aspec representation! The dissection of power and trauma and grief! Not to mention the beautiful use of language and intensely detailed worldbuilding! I am gathering up Aster and Theo and Giselle and Ainy and Pippi and Mabel and Flick and Lune and I am forever holding them close to my heart where they can be safe. I only wish for another book, or an afterword, or something so I can know if it all turned out okay!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Confinement, Excrement, Gore, Sexual assault, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was intense, but overall a very good read. I felt like the author did a great job building the world and the characters, so much so that I found myself wishing there was a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to others, though with a strong caution to review the trigger warnings and be prepared for graphic content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Body horror, Racism, Lesbophobia, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Self harm, Violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death, Child death, Racism, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Self harm, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexism, Abortion, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Incest, Animal death, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

tifftastic87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Beautifully dark and depressing. With a small light in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Confinement, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Death, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicide, and Abortion

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Rape, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Bullying

riverrliam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.25

This book is heavy on science terms, so be prepared to look things up! Some of the plot was confusing to me, but overall it was entertaining and a quick read. I liked all the queer representation. I love a dystopian story / escape for a better world and the setting was unique. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Body shaming, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Classism, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Bullying, Confinement, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Gun violence, Self harm, and Fire/Fire injury

leweylibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I really wish I liked this one more 😕 I think I would've liked it better not in audiobook (the quick, brief POV changes were a bit difficult), and I wasn't a big fan of the narrator or the MC really. I can tell it was good writing wise, it just wasn't hitting me much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, Abortion, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Sexism, Classism, Violence, Bullying, Police brutality, Rape, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Body horror, Slavery, and Suicide attempt

rcsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

The space ship is a great analogy for being trapped in slavery, you can't run away into a vacuum. The actual science of this space ship though, is insane like it has a tiny sun with floors for growing crops round it that all require drastically different environments and you can see people on other floors and they're upside down. What? If you take the ship purely as an analogy and don't think about science then this is a really interesting way to write about slavery and trauma full of diverse, queer and neurodivergent characters. The A deck ruling class are the white, heteronormative colonisers and the rest of the alphabet of decks represent the various cultures that the West enslaved and colonised. The analogy is good but the actual plot of the story gets confusing. 
 The story of Aster learning about her mother through the journals she left behind started out so well and then kind of got lost later. We just dropped it for the middle of the book and then it reappeared at the end with a lot of solutions which clearly happened off page. 
 I could see why Giselle was there to show us the effects of trauma but i have no idea why she was Aster's friend, she seemed to hate her a lot and they had nothing in common apart from living on the same floor of the massive ship. I have no idea what the Lieutenants motives were, he was a cartoon villain who just decided one day that a random child was his nemesis and he was going to mess with her for the rest of his life.
 It was very readable and I enjoyed it but this review seems to think otherwise...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Vomit, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, War, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Self harm, Sexism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Stalking

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Rivers Solomon has a way of tugging you by the soul, pulling you into the world they’ve lovingly and painstakingly crafted. An Unkindness of Ghosts is many things: a rumination on faith & oppression, on the afterlife and our ancestor’s legacy, a story of survival and rebellion and forcing a space for yourself when the system denies it, but most of all, it is a good book. I cannot stress enough to heed the content warnings, but if you can stomach them, this book will reward you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death of parent, Child death, Classism, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Torture, Grief, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, Abortion, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Death, Medical content, Rape, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse and Transphobia

sarkenobi's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Police brutality, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Torture, Xenophobia, Ableism, Classism, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Gore, Homophobia, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Abortion, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, and Miscarriage

Minor: Child abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Vomit

auteaandtales's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Racism, Ableism, Transphobia, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Confinement, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Violence, Suicide, Slavery, Gore, Death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy