Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The Hunger by Alma Katsu

45 reviews

mfrisk's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I really enjoyed this read. While it was definitely a slow burn I felt the journey itself was incredibly worthwhile and that I really got to know the hostile and unforgiving setting and the variety of characters. 

I thought this story did a good job of balancing the real and the supernatural evils which existed and that it did a great job of not having any one character be altogether good or evil. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Cannibalism, Animal death, Death, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest

voidcrawler's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Infidelity, Gun violence, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Homophobia, and Misogyny

Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual harassment

keenanmaree's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Violence

kingsteph's review

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Animal death, Cannibalism, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest

vague_coffeecup's review

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Cannibalism, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Suicide

thegr8estangell's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

The Donner party has always been fascinating to me. Being descendant of the Mormon pioneers who first settled Salt Lake City gives me more background information on the early pioneers. Having been raised with stories of those trekking westward since I was young, I've always been fascinated with tales from prairie. This book was really slow at first. It took a hot moment to get going, but once it did I didn't want to put it down. Evening knowing that most people in the party would meet their maker, I still was hooked. I loved the supernatural elements of the story. Wendigos are fucking terrifying. Being stalked out in the wilderness where nobody can help you is enough to make your blood run cold, but adding in skinwalkers? yeah, no thanks. I ordered the non-fiction books the author talks about in her acknowledgements to get more information. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Violence

the_escapist's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

queer_venus's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.5

Far more incest than anticipated? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

cannotdice's review

dark mysterious sad tense 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? No

3.5

fucked….this book is fucked…..

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Incest, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Death, Child death, Cannibalism, and Blood

wortklauberei's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

The Hunger ist so ein Buch was für mich einfach nicht funktioniert hat. Ich habe einige Rezensionen gelesen und kann ehrlich gesagt nicht nachvollziehen, woher die ganzen Guten kommen. Mir fiel es schwer das Buch überhaupt zu beenden, vor allem, weil ich immer wieder eingeschlafen bin.

Handlung

Die Autorin greift die Geschehnisse rund um die Donner-Party auf und gibt dem Ganzen einen mystischen Anstrich. Man begleitet den Treck bei seiner beschwerlichen Reise quer durch Amerika. Wer schon mal was von der Donner-Party gehört hat, weiß auf jeden Fall schon wie das Buch endet, aber das lässt sich bei historischen Ereignissen einfach nicht vermeiden. Ansonsten plätschert die Handlung so dahin, die Zeit vergeht und man erlebt mit, wie der Treck mit seinen Fehlentscheidungen und den veränderten Wetterbedingungen zu kämpfen hat. Auch wenn ich das Ende schon kenne, kann ich eine Geschichte noch genießen, so sie denn spannend ist. Das ist hier leider nicht der Fall. Vor allem das mystische Element zündet so gar nicht. Ich hatte einen gewissen Grusel- oder Horrorfaktor erwartet und habe nichts davon bekommen. Alles bleibt wage und blass. 

Charaktere

Wo wir schon bei wage und blass sind. Der wichtigste Grund, wieso die Geschichte für mich nicht funktioniert, sind die Figuren. Nicht eine einzige von ihnen erscheint mir gut konzipiert. Sie sind fad, es kommt keine Spannung auf, auch nicht zwischen den Figuren, und mir ist es gar nicht gelungen eine Verbindung zu den Figuren aufzubauen. Wenn ich aber mitfiebern soll und es mich kümmern soll ob jemand lebt oder stirbt ist das essentiell. Stattdessen sterben die Figuren wie die Fliegen und es ist mir einfach total egal. 

Worldbuilding

Das Worldbuilding hat genau das selbe Problem wie die Figuren. Platt, platter, the Hunger. Das Amerika dieser Zeit wurde schon oft in Filmen verwurstet und doch fühlt es sich in diesem Buch nicht plastisch an. Mir fehlen Details, einerseits in der Beschreibung der Welt anderseits beim Mysterium, um eine gewisse Tiefe und Lebendigkeit reinzubringen. 

Schreibstil

Der einzige Teil an diesem Buch an dem ich nichts auszusetzen habe ist der Schreibstil. Leicht verständlich und flüssig zu lesen. Nur eben unglaublich langweilig. 

Fazit

Insgesamt ein Buch von dem ich abraten würde. 2 Sterne gibts noch von mir. Ich finde, dieses Buch wird den Ereignissen rund um die Donner-Party nicht gerecht.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide and Cannibalism