Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Eisfuchs by Tanya Tagaq

34 reviews

kmerrow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense

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

5.0

No one who can listen to the audiobook should be doing anything but that. I'm sure it is an interesting read, but the audio is something other-wordly. I have never heard someone give themselves entirely to an audiobook in this way, and most if not all chapters are lead out by Tanya Tagaq's throat singing. She imbues the words with so much emotion and her tone shifts appropriately throughout. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to listen to this book read by the author.

Note: it is NSFW or literally any other environment so you want to listen with headphones on or somewhere with thick walls.

That being said, this is undoubtedly the weirdest, most fucked up thing I've ever read. And I mean that as a term of endearment. It also makes it fucking real. This writing is unapologetic. She writes in such a poetic and at times whimsical way, sometimes about truly horrific things. It is fantastical while also dealing with very hard realities like child sexual abuse, which is an overriding theme. It is extremely sexually explicit, whether detailing abuse, consensual sex, sex with animals, and even the northern lights.

If you're easily offended or squeamish, this is not the one for you, but I'd still recommend it to you because it's unforgettable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Grief, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Colonisation, Death, and Death of parent

laurenmiller100's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.75

“Fear is learning to run from me. Not the other way around.”

Someone on Goodreads called this book the thorniest of roses, and I have to agree. As others have mentioned, big time trigger warnings on this. It’s vulgar, disturbing, beautiful, brutal, mysterious, magical, and deeply upsetting. Definitely a unique read, but one that I struggled with because the content is so difficult. The plot can be winding, vague, and hard to follow because it’s written as poetry. I don’t have much of a mind for poetry even though I love it, so I don’t know that I really followed all the events of this story. That said, what did make a huge impact on me is the feeling that Tagaq is trying to get across. The ending is beautiful and horrible. Tragic and disquieting. I am glad I read it, and I hope to never read it again.

“We are reverberations of our ancestors and songs of our present selves. It is very quiet in the future as it is in the deep past. The quiet. We always live among the dead. It’s scary but the quiet is our true home. This is why we must make the most of our gristle and meat. We must celebrate being harnessed into our bodies. We are a product of the immense torque that propels this universe. We are not individuals but an accumulation of all that lived before.”

• Characters: 6
• Atmosphere/Setting: 10
• Writing Style: 8
• Plot: 7
• Intrigue: 8
• Logic/Relationships: 4
• Enjoyment: 2

6.2/10 = 3.75 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Sexual content, Murder, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Drug use, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Alcohol

Descriptions are extremely graphic and disturbing.

yasidiaz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

This book was a hard read, not only because it was mainly narrative poetry, but because of its content. I recommend reading the trigger warnings carefully before picking this book since it has very graphic content.

This is the first time I read a book by an Inuit writer with Inuit characters. That's honestly what mainly draws me to the story. I've been focusing on reading from cultures I am unfamiliar with and learning more from them. Reading about the life of a young Inuit woman living in the Canadian Artic during the 70's and 80's. It made me want to read more about this community and its folklore. 

Nonetheless, this book is very different from what I usually read. It's dark, sad, and hopeless at times. The prose was beautiful and Tanya Tagaq is a talented poet. I don't think I will read this book again. It was beautiful and I don't regret reading it, but I still prefer my lighthearted romantic reads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child death, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

eggboy397's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Body horror, Rape, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Self harm

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

hila3's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Rape, Bullying, Drug use, and Alcoholism

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Gore, Grief, and Sexual content

Beastiality

pagesofkenzie's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, Rape, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship

cozylifewithabby's review against another edition

Read for my reading around the world challenge: Canada. Very productive, but so challenging and sad. Please check content warnings, but it is a good book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Rape, Child death, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts

booklover97's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

harkless's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Drug use

Minor: Cursing