Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Kill Switch

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Kill Switch by Penelope Douglas

72 reviews

redsea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

this was deep gosh 😭
okay so the plot was a bit nonexistent, gabriel wasn’t as big and scary in this one than hideaway so there was no external plot besides the romance

i literally despised damon for majority of this book but, i’m kinda warming up to him as much as i hate to admit. his past is so fucking sad like i was crying, it made me feel sick, he deserved sm better.“Because eleven-year-olds shouldn’t be thinking about how to end their lives.” 😭😭
but a lot of it was TOO intense sometimes i’m like calm down. esp when he looked at banks like that i’m like no stop. his fan cast is so fine tho LMAO but yea i liked way more at the end. a lot of his behaviour from book 1 was like justified and i didn’t like it like he was bordering of SA and it wasn’t ok but like three sides to every story and idk how i feel
but bro wtf 😭 him and erika are fucking siblings what.

“I thought back to the boy in the fountain, bloody with a silent tear streaming down his face, because something—or many things—happened to him that he didn’t want to talk about, and now he was nearly a man who would never cry again and only made other people bleed.”

this is so sad tho

but r u serious, this guys liked helplessness cos it made him feel powerful like ew that’s gross

first off i wish that they had a better wrap up to the gabriel thing. it was resolved far too quick for how long the book is. like they could’ve framed michaels dad, done so much more. but rika’s mum is his mum wtf. i feel so bad for her like fuck gabriel, i cant wait till evan gets what’s coming for killing rikas dad. also idk if she knew what was happening to damon but she didn’t even fight for him like. it was completely out of the blue tho and it’s a bit weird cos like, rika and damon kissed in corrupt i think 🤢🤢🤢🤢🤢 plus he literally told her she’s turning him on in this fucjing book, dying

but this “Leave her alone, Damon.”
“Suck me, Fane,” he shot back.”
reminded me of their dynamic in nightfall
but rika was such a baddie in this book i loved her sm. “She just smirked at me, a glint in her blue eyes. “Queen takes rook.”
i also needed more kai and banks i miss them sm. SHES FREAKING PREGANT AND WE DIDNT GET ANYTHING IM SO SAD, kai would be the best dad ever.

i also need more michael/kai+damon/will friendship moments like they’re very divided i think. i loved the whole group together tho like the prank on the prof, want more of that. i love how alex is part of it too
“Private?” Damon teased. “Like steam-room private? I’m game.”
this is too funny
also
“That’s how you thank three females who just saved your ass?” Rika remarked, sounding all too amused.
And then Alex tipped her chin at me, taunting, “Who’s your daddy?”

anyways , i liked winter. i thought her being blind added an extra layer to the story, made it deeper. i liked how she danced and i like how she kept fighting! but we only rlly got her w damon so i feel like i don’t know her that well. arion was a dick so when winter told her to “bite me” iconic. also she stood up to damon like when he told everyone he was her first kiss and she went “Don’t think for a second that you were any good at it, either,”
that scene were will saved her was sweet plus this “If you hurt Winter, you’ll deal with me,” he said.”

they were super intense. I ADORED THEIR CHILDHOOD SCENES so freaking cute and innocent. when damon gave her the rosary and said “now you’re bac too” 🥺 also it wasn’t even damon’s fault like it was her dads fault she went blind. poor guy was just a scared 🥺 but like when he said he’d kiss her when they were older SO CUTE also later on the driving scene omg i loved it. the way they describe colours MY HEART and the hospital scene. damon getting excited cos he thinks her dogs band is russian cos of him LMAO

damon protecting winter from her parents fight was so sweet “But before I could think of what to do, the hands left my mouth and waist, and instead came up and covered my ears as he pulled me close.
“Shhhh,” he soothed, his mouth next to my temple.”

“I brought my hand up to cover the sobs escaping, and that’s when he brought me into his chest, still holding his hand over one ear, but pressing the other into his heart”

some other quotes i like:
“Your sister lacks any depth to be interesting, and I hate my house. It’s so dark there.” He paused, then continued. “It all fucking disappeared when you were dancing, though. It made the world prettier. I liked it.”
“Can I hide there with you?” he asked.”

“she was eight again, and I was eleven, unable to stop looking at her.”

“You could never not draw attention,” he finally said. “And it has nothing to do with you being blind.”
The way he said it—gentle and thoughtful—made heat rise to my cheeks, and I didn’t know if he meant my dancing or if I was pretty, but I smiled to myself, suddenly warm all over.”

“I can walk faster,” I told him. “I can. I didn’t mean—”
“Shut up and hold me tight.”

“My heart…” he said. “Shit.”
I remembered what he said last week at my house. Do you know what I have to do to get it to beat like that?
“I scared you.”
“Not an emotion I’m used to being on the receiving end of,” he mused.”

“But then, tightening her hold, she slowly brought herself in and hugged me.
My chest swelled, aching like shit, and everything washed over me at once. Her smell, her warmth, her hair and body… My lungs caved, and I didn’t know why, but it felt so fucking good. I wrapped my arms around her like a steel band, almost feeling relief at holding something—or someone—for the first time in forever.”

“I went weak for a moment, the light in her eyes the most beautiful thing I’d seen in a long time.”

“But I just shook my head, keeping my voice low in case her parents were still awake. “I don’t know, baby,” I told her. “Just don’t let me go, okay?”

“Come on,” he says, pulling me through the maze. “You’ll like it.”
“What is it?”
I breathed hard, stumbling to keep up as he races through the other side of the maze and beyond the hedges.
He wants to show me something, but I really just want to stay in the fountain. It’s fun in there—so secret.
But he’s so happy now, and I’m kind of curious.
I can’t stop smiling. My belly has flutters in it.”

“I look over my shoulder, meeting his eyes, and he’s right there, staring at me, almost nose to nose.
Something fills my chest, and he’s so close, it makes me feel so weird. Like something is pulling me.
I can’t look away, and he holds my eyes, too, and it’s like I can’t stop it. The pull.
His lips touch mine, and I feel like I’m on a roller coaster.
It makes me stop breathing as tickles hit me everywhere, and then I pull away.
I clutch the board tighter, heat rising to my face. “Why did you do that?”
“I didn’t do it. You did it,” he charges.
“I did not.”
God, I’m so embarrassed.
I glance back at him, trying to see if he’s mad, but he looks just as embarrassed as me.
I didn’t kiss him, did I? It was him.
Or both of us. Ughhhh…
He nudges me. “Hurry. Come on.”

“He turns away and lets out a breath as he stares ahead. “I might kiss you again when we’re older,” he says. “Just so you know.”

“But I want her to come back,” Damon says. “Please.”
Damon rushes over and takes my hand, pulling me away from the hole and putting himself in front of me again.
“Leave her alone!” he fights. “I’ll help her! I’ll do it!”

the arrest made me sad like i feel for both of them. the rika thing he did pretending it was winter was so fucked up tho and inexcusable.

i liked their emotional connection but they hated each other for majority of the book when it could’ve been solved by being honest which kinda sucks. but the way he went to the treehouse went he went away 🥺 and HIM BUILDING A FOUNTAIN FOR HER PLS. also him as a builder and her as a ballerina is so freaking cute i cant. also she’s pregnant too???? i wanted a scene at the maine place that would’ve been cute
um the threesome w will tho wtf 😭 all i have to say is AGAIN???? and damon and will too nah 😭

but i liked the scene when they were all pulling the prank together
“We all broke into laughter again, picturing the sight, and my head was light and my stomach unknotted for the first time in a long time. I hadn’t laughed like this in a while.
My head fell back, exhausted from the day and night, but kind of happy.
Really happy, actually.”

the bonus chapter of iverson being born 🥹🥹 so freaking sweet, i love how alex gave him the hat lmao, alex and damon have an interesting bond. i need for kai and damon/will friendship moments tho ughhh

i liked the misha and will moments
“I instantly recognized him. Misha, his little cousin. Grandson of a state senator but looked more like the prodigy of Sid and Nancy.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Will asked him. “You’re like twelve.”
“And?”
Smart-ass kid.”

also He rose up out of his chair, the hint of disdain on his face as he picked up the hoodie. “Not every woman in this world will be for your personal amusement,” he bit out, staring down at me. “Someday one of them will be your kid, and you’re gonna damn well worry when she’s drawing the wrong kind of attention.”
“You teach your daughter to hide in everyone else’s world,” I shot back, “and I’ll teach mine everyone else exists in hers. Go fuck yourself, and leave the kid alone.”

kai is literally right abt most things and i don’t like how the author makes it like their is other perspectives 😡

damon and will have a bond ig but i don’t like they’re friendship cos they enable each other’s bad behaviour
this is sad tho “I could drown you again.”
“Then do it,” he fired back. “Do it, because I got nothin’ to lose, D. Nothing.”

kai just being the best horseman “Well, Kai’s the nicest,” Rika’s friend, Claudia, said.
“He’s bad in all the right places, though,” someone else teased.
“He and Damon look a lot alike,” Claudia continued. “Both dark hair and eyes, but Kai’s more…manicured, I guess you could say. Damon always looks like he just shifted back to his human form after being a wolf all night.” She laughed. “His hair and clothes are never in order…”

will describing emory “Sexy with chocolate-colored hair and olive skin. Fat lips and dark eyes taunting me behind some seductive, librarian glasses.”

“Fucker, no one’s talking to you,” Will barked back.
I snorted, and I could feel Damon fume next to me.
Will was fun. I think I liked him.”

excited for nightfall but i’m scared

Content Warnings

kodafaith's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

6/5 stars!!!
I knew reading Corrupt that I was going to fall in love with Damon when i finally got to him because I KNEW there was something under the surface and UGH MY HEART!!!

This one just tore me up and no it’s not just because I love tall, dark, bad boys but because we actually see into his soul and then we see Winter and her strength and wow

I knew going in that this was most people’s favorite book but I was still amazed by how much I fell for these characters and this story.

This is easily one of my favorite series of all time in all genres at this point. Just wow.

Content Warnings

_youfloweryoufeast_'s review against another edition

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dark emotional sad 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

3.0

3 ⭐️

Genre: Dark Romance
Age group : Adult
POV : First person / dual POV
Characters: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Plot: 3.5/5 ⭐️
Setting/Themes: 3/5 ⭐️
Writing: 2/5 ⭐️
Spice : 4 ⭐️

• Please check TWs & CWs
• mature language, sexual scenes, violence, mentions of kidnapping, vandalism, sexual assault, mentions of statutory rape, child abuse, pedophilia, sexual violence murder, attempted murder, guns, substance abuse, mentions of mental illness, slut shaming & more.
• Dark romance (heavy triggers)
• Tropes :Miscommunication, Childhood lovers (but make it dark & gritty)
• HEA

“Nothing was a lie.”

Surprisingly, once I came to terms with the term “dark romance” and got past all the horrible and questionable behaviours, this wasn’t bad. I did quite like the flow of the story, of course it was extremely problematic in a sense. It was Beth toxic too obviously, but I ate After up like nobody’s business so I’m not one to complain.

Winter. I liked winter. A lot. She’s proof that strength and capability is truly in the will of a person. I loved her passion for dance and I truly loved The way she perceived things.

Damon. I hated him in the first 2, now I can’t help but love him. I am an advocate for healing past trauma and not using trauma as an excuse to be a douche but Damon. I can’t even begin. Please be warned that Kill Switch delves into the darker and very detailed parts of Damon’s abuse as a child.

My issues:

- the Misogynist tendencies obviously
- slutshaming
- glorification of trauma (in a sense)

Did I love it? Maybe not, but I did like it.

Content Warnings

sydneys_bookshelf's review against another edition

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why do you all like damon???? i genuinely do not understand it. he is cruel, manipulative, a menace and not in a good way. i’m convinced that it must be 12 year old girls who love him because no adult woman should be okay with any of his actions. i made it work for michael and kai, but i can’t stand it him. goodbye. maybe i will skip to the fourth book idk.

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coligmueller's review against another edition

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4.5

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lauraeerika's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

1.0

i don’t think i can call this entertainment anymore this is more like torture but it’s still better than corrupt 😀

some of the stuff in this book just felt so wrong… so wrong

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jiyagupta's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious

Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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readbyjaimes's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

OMG. I knew Damon’s book would be my favorite but wow, Winter is just an absolute gem, and Damon is really so amazing once you get behind his defenses. I loved this story

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lenavejar's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Content Warnings

anncatherine's review against another edition

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dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

woah.

“If she left me, I'm going to burn the whole fucking world down until I find her.”
“Your body can only feel one pain at a time. Because pain in the body quiets the pain in the head. It feels good, like a kill switch for your brain.”
“Life felt like hell, because we expected it to feel like heaven.”
“And I hated that I’d missed him. I hated that so fucking much. How I still felt the parts about him I loved when I didn’t know it was him I was with. How his arms around me still felt protective and how his whispers reminded me of when I loved the feel of them all over my neck.”

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