Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

11 reviews

dale_in_va's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? No

3.75

Interesting commentary on the prison industrial complex and trickle down economics.  I think the sexual debauchery in the novel is meant to symbolize the corruption that occurs in such a system, but the sex in is so salicious that it can get a bit distracting and one forgets that it is a symbol.  But then again, in a world where one doesn't have real currency, I guess sex is the one currency that everyone has and can either spend or covet. 

Like Margaret Atwood's other books, this book is both entertaining on its face, and a deep social commentary.  Not a dissappointment, but didn't blow me away either.  Maybe because I couldn't really relate to the protagonists.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny, Violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual violence

Men are not portrayed in the best light in this book. So much so, that it can be a bit of a distraction, and may be a hurdle that may prevent readers who identify as male from getting the satire.

karoline98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Sexual violence

cleotheo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Rape, Murder, Medical content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse and Abandonment

eli99's review

dark tense 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

2.0

This book was just weird. It's not the sex stuff that was weird. I don't mind weird sex stuff. It's that the dystopia didn't seem realistic. At the same time, parts felt boring. Parts of the world haven't changed, yet parts are so different. 

At the end, it tries to wrap things up, but it doesn't feel successful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Classism, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Death, Sexism, and Medical trauma

Minor: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Homophobia

addie's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment

rjsweeton's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence

cwu's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Emotional abuse

sjforsko's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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

3.75

This is actually a re-read for me, with I think about 5 years since I read it for the first time.

First off, I love Margaret Atwood, and this is very Margaret Atwood-y. It's a dystopia where an oppressive government/societal power is seemingly providing safety, but of course there is something darker going on. There is A LOT of sex, and the male/female (and this is a pretty heteronormative) power dynamic is also front and center.

I couldn't remember how this book ends, and that's because it's really kind of a let down. I really thought the first 3/4th of the book was super interesting and engaging, but it was a steep drop off in character and world building in the end. It felt pretty rushed and just trying to tie a bow on things in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Cancer

sofipitch's review against another edition

dark 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book is thoroughly fucked up, Stepford Wives meets.... I don't know what. Really well done dystopia, very believable, probably because it borrows on actual social issues such as the Prison Industrial Complex. I also spent the whole book thinking that Stan and Charmaine need to get a divorce, that I'd be mad if they stayed married and Atwood said, "oh, I can think of something worse". I think the most fascinating thing about this book is it's about bringing down this dystopian system, when the main characters don't actually care to do it, they are forced to help. They find out about murder and all kinds of fucked up things and are just like, "but the system gives me a house". It really gets into the idea of what would you be willing to give up for security and comfort, especially when you aren't the one giving anything up, you make other ppl do it. A very real tale about what happens when people are selfish. I find this very pertinent considering we just had to watch the first billionaire go to space with money he could be using to end world hunger, poverty, climate change, etc.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Sexism

Moderate: Alcohol, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Cancer and Pedophilia

blackaliss's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic friendship

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