Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

16 reviews

sara_mb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

It’s controversial with all the topics it brings up but very Intense and intriguing. The jumps in time make it confusing at first but it’s great to see with time all the sides of the story. Very interesting to read a pov of a blind character. I wasn’t sure how it would end or make sense but it was good 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, and Toxic friendship

nineinchnails's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-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

3.0

this book was definitely too long imo. i loved damon and winter's characters and i think they were well written but a lot of the content felt like filler to me (especially with the flashbacks they felt a little repetitive and redundant) so it felt like a drag getting through the middle of the book. the last chunk definitely kept my attention well but i don't know if it's enough for me to rate the book higher,  since the book is so SO long. i don't think i would've minded the length much if there was more development in the present and i think the constant flashbacks worked against this story since i felt like i never got a chance to root for their relationship outside of their flashbacks. when i finished the book, i wasn't really sure why they liked each other (enough to warrant this being a romance novel) during the time the book was actually set but i found their individual characters lovable and interesting enough to root for them anyway, so i'd say it was a success overall!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Bullying, Car accident, Ableism, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, and Self harm

Minor: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

jadyn_renee62's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

this was a great book and perfect for the series summary of this book is below which spoils the book but this is only for people who forget what happens and want to continue the series BE AWARE

at the end damon and winter are together and damon’s kills his dad but all his money goes to his sister banks and damon has no money so he starts architecture, and he always doesn’t get arrested because the cops have someone protect him because ppl hated his dad also damon regrets everything he did and his mom touched him as a kid but his dad revels that it wasn’t his mom but a hooker and his real mom is rikas mom so they’re sibling and winters dad is still hiding and will is struggling a lot with drugs and drinking and damon is very protective of him cuz they had a very special connection

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Torture, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Child abuse, Car accident, Alcohol, Ableism, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Drug use, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Gun violence, and Murder

dkgreads's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Buckle up, buttercup, because this one’s got a SH*T TON of baggage to unpack. Definitely look at the content warnings before reading. It’s definitely the most emotional book of the series so far. I didn’t think we’d get quite the close up on Damon’s past as we did, but it definitely explains why he is the way he is. Having Winter be blind was a choice. I got annoyed pretty quickly at the amount of times her not being able to see was used as a terror tactic. And I was really curious how the two of them were going to have a happy ending, all things considered. Overall, I liked it more than the second book, but not quite as much as the first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Medical content, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Blood, Death, Bullying, Kidnapping, Drug use, and Alcohol

nushreadsbooks's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Child abuse

Moderate: Ableism

fevalente's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Gaslighting, Cursing, Ableism, Torture, Stalking, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death and Animal death

fevalente's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Murder, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Ableism, Child abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Gaslighting, Incest, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcoholism

theteamsreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

The best in the series.  A dark, sexy romance that actually IS dark and sexy.  Following the third horseman Damon Torrance as he begins to tear down Winter Ashby's life and family after the incident so many years ago, a surprising backstory and dive into these characters' minds reveals that what's on the surface is not as it seems.  Recommend to anyone with a dark and spicy read in mind with a surprisingly excellent plot, a larger found family than once realised before, and even further surprise in diversity, as to Winter's  character not being limited to her blind disability.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Violence, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Car accident

jen1804's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

The character development of Damon in this book is mad. I’ve gone from despising the sick fuck that is Damon Torrance in book 1, still hating him through book 2 (albeit some crumbs are dropped in preparation for his book), and now after book 3 I see him as my baby who must be protected at all costs.
Damon has obviously committed a lot of really bad shit and we cannot excuse some of his behaviour, but this book does an excellent job of exploring his past trauma and layering the reasons behind his decisions. It is heartbreaking to read at times, nobody deserves the childhood that he had.
I absolutely adore his and Winter’s story, the secrecy of their earlier relationship when Winter didn’t know who he was, because he was scared she would hate him if he revealed his identity which is heartbreaking, but the scenes were so beautiful - the driving of the car, the motorcycle ride. I also love that they have this back story from when they were kids, with the fountain and the tree house and how it all comes full circle when they’re older.
I really loved the internal struggle between Winter and Damon, with the slow burn enemies to lovers and them finally giving into each other. I think it made it spicier at times too. I love that they are both each other’s downfalls and yet each other’s saviours. Damon’s confession of his feelings toward Winter  was so beautiful. And the fucking poem behind her name and then his tattoo of the decaying snowflake, omg send help I am dead. And the note he leaves her in fucking braille. Stop it!
The disability of Winter being blind is really beautifully explored in this book actually and I just loved it so freaking much. The descriptions of her listening to the rain, the snow, chef’s kiss, her feeling her sandpaper markers on the floor so that she can still dance and do what she loves. There’s kind of a story within this story of self acceptance and how Winter loves how her other senses are enhanced, she also doesn’t let it stop her from doing anything. There are definitely times when her blindness is taken advantage of don’t get me wrong, but I loved how Winter had people who were there for her and took care of her, being her eyes for her when she needed.
Add to the story how Damon finally gets his group of friends back and my heart is happy, thank god because by the end of book 2 I was feeling sad for him, he needs them! Though perhaps he defo needed to do more grovelling than he did…
I loved the further layers about Damon and Will’s friendship too. I think the scene of the car underwater and Will essentially having a panic attack as it brought back the trauma of drowning in the first book was really beautifully done too, with him being calmed by both Damon and Winter. And Damon’s inner turmoil about what his friend has been through knowing that he’s responsible.
Overall a really good book with some extremely complex themes. It’s not a 5/5 for me but it gets a well rounded 4.
Satisfactory ending? Yes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Ableism, Abandonment, Blood, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Panic attacks/disorders

jlaz_13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Cursing, Abandonment, Child abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking, Blood, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Minor: Ableism, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse