Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Monster Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

3 reviews

frogggirl2's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

"Yes, the world has laws, which are consequences for your actions. But remember that there is nothing you cannot choose to do.  Only consequences you fear to face" (p. 248).

The things I liked from the original book (the main character, the scheming and the intrigue) are all still present, but less so, and any strategy and characterization gets buried under too much effluvia.  The book would be massively better if every one of these sections that is not part of the main plot was excised.  I don't need any other characters' points of view - the plot just follows Baru going from place to place, and yet it's sufficiently boring and convoluted as it is.  This doesn't develop the same depths of relationship or examine a cast of side characters in the same complex way as the first book, either.  Everyone here, including Baru, seems completely incompetent (what happened to the highly qualified, goal oriented, self contained heroine Baru from the first book?) - it's hard to believe they can even stay alive, let alone run this incredibly potent empire.

This book is a messy slog and a complete disappointment after the excellent first book in the series.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child death, Torture, Alcohol, Colonisation, Self harm, Violence, Cancer, Gore, Miscarriage, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Suicide

lipstickitotheman's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

The writing got experimental in this one, compared to Traitor. I don't like it as much. Still very good, but this one didn't capture me as Traitor did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Body horror, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Chronic illness, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Cancer, Colonisation, Confinement, Torture, Toxic friendship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, War, Xenophobia, and Violence

Minor: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Police brutality, Sexual content, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical content, Gun violence, Medical trauma, and Miscarriage

hedsek's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I found the book really hard to follow, maybe even more so than the first part. Baru seems like a completely different person, which makes sense given the things she's done, but in a very weird teenagery way for some reason. I am super confused  by her relation with almost everyone, but maybe it's supposed to be that way? There was some beautiful prose though, and as with the previous book the ending was very climactic and makes me want to read the next book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Addiction, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, and Death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Torture, Homophobia, Blood, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Biphobia, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, War, and Violence

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy