Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

26 reviews

laurenw22's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Homophobia

danie_faye's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Gun violence and Homophobia

asinglebird's review

challenging dark tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, Drug use, Mass/school shootings, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Gore, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

lennybiird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Religious bigotry

ghost_cat_xo's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, and Homophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Slavery

saurahsaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, but didn’t expect it to be so violent. I loved its lore and strangeness, the themes of identity and being othered. And I just want to protect main character 🥹💜

I understand the role that the violence played in the book, and it fit. Just wasn’t prepared for it going in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, Racism, Death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Cursing, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Minor: Animal death, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Police brutality

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Bullying, Incest, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Cursing, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Classism, Medical content, Car accident, and Child death

brookey8888's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

This was fine. There was a lot I liked about it but a lot fell flat for me. I liked the discussion about racism, bullying, sexual assault, coming out, and family trauma/heritage. I liked how slowly Jake started to accept himself and the friendships and relationships that formed as well as the strengthening of the family. I just felt the the plot and the horror aspect was boring and it didn’t keep my attention sadly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Hate crime, Car accident, Outing, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, and Violence

mixxroxy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

2.75

It's tough to rate this book. It's a story about two young high schoolers both in similar situations. One of them goes down a dark path. A path of grief, loneliness and hatred. Those dark feelings build and build and burn this lonely child inside out. And when that doesn't work they turn those feelings outward using mass violence at school. His story is paralleled with another boy in a similar situation. Another boy who is lonely, confused, and ostracized. The story hinges on if this second boy will follow in the path of the first or will he make his own way in the world. The writing is dark and brutal and somewhat poetic. But it is a tough read. 

I'm rating it as low as I did because it just wasn't really a book for me. The hopelessness in it isn't exactly overwhelming but it's heavy. Also, there are some choices that are made, some odd things that feel a bit out of place in the book near the end and left me feeling a little off kilter but I don't think the author intended it that way. 

Despite these feelings, whenever I'm in the right mood, I think I'd like to read another book from Douglass in the future. If you're okay with all the trigger warnings it's an interesting spooky albeit very dark and sad book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Gun violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Body horror, and Bullying

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

__helena__'s review

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death, Violence, Murder, Bullying, Homophobia, Child abuse, and Racism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Slavery