Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado

19 reviews

justcallmeemily's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual violence, Pedophilia, and Child abuse

kajoreads's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

The concept was intriguing, the athmosphere was deliciously unsettling and the art was absolutely gorgeous. The artist and the colorist worked incredibly well together.

I really enjoyed the first half. It took time to establish the world and set the mood.

Unfortunately, the ending felt like reading a brief summary of the events. I wanted it to slow down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Drug use, Sexism, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, and Misogyny

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Vomit, Suicide, Child death, and Classism

Minor: Transphobia, Animal death, and Homophobia

brassmonkey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Transphobia and Homophobia

Themes of sexual assault are extremely prevalent the entire plot, but are never explicitly stated, and exist more within the realm of Southern Gothic metaphor.

aknah5's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional fast-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? No

5.0

Everything about this book is beautifully crafted and haunting. For someone who is very cautious when approaching horror, I found The Low, Low Woods to be oddly welcoming. It's as though it goes deep into the psyche, draws out a repressed nightmare, and says "It's okay, you're not alone--we've imagined this too." Using magical realism, TLLW unleashes the horror of an unchallenged, unrestrained patriarchal society in the confines of a small Pennsylvanian town and, through the lives of our young adult heroines, moves through the enduring generational violence of that society as well as the critical awakening and resistance against it. I recommend this book as a potent piece of contemporary Gothic literature and with that recommendation, I would post this one notice: Sexual assault is not just a vague haunting theme in this novel; it is immediate and it is throughout. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Blood, Gore, Pedophilia, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

shannonbauchat's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Rape, and Pedophilia

bashsbooks's review

dark emotional 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? No

5.0

The Low, Low Woods absolutely took my breath away. The setting of an old coal-mining town in poor, rural Pennsylvania was so well-chosen and so integral to the story. That aspect blew my mind. The art style is beautiful and haunting. El and Octavia are both compelling characters, and their main conflict makes sense and jives well with the rest of the plot. 

The twist is heartbreaking, but I gasped as all the pieces clicked into place. Even though it is a fantastical story, it is incredibly REAL. 

I loved this so much I'm almost incoherent. Go read it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Rape, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Suicide, Gore, Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent

lotharith's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Child abuse

cantfindmybookmark's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Rape, and Sexual assault

laurajones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• 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: Gaslighting, Body horror, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Pedophilia and Transphobia

Minor: Alcohol, Torture, and Forced institutionalization

rachbake's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexism