Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

16 reviews

lacroixreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty

mondovertigo's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Confinement, Child death, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Blood, Animal death, Stalking, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Gun violence and Adult/minor relationship

kmacdo23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This novel is a revelation, a scream trapped in the throat of a teenage girl, a rosary made of strangers' teeth. One that I would pray upon, with reverence. This is a lesson I would sit through again. This is a volcano errupting and there's nowhere you can go to escape. I was so unsettled. I was held so tenderly by this story.

Welcome to The White Age. Explore the horrors of teenage girlhood. The horrors of womanhood. This novel twists the relief of being recognized as the fucked up girl that you are with the religions of desire and violence. 

What would you do for someone you love as the other half of yourself,  the completion of you? Everything? Everything, and all the brutality that implies. 

What is a scary story, a monster, a fear, but something kept alive by the same unwitting people that fall victim to its effect. Come see what you could keep alive. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Blood, Mental illness, Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

meika_one's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

This book is very atmospheric and literary.  It explores the emotional substrate of how people process fear and terror.  There aren't any supernatural elements, so it read as psychological thriller to me.  Similar to Apt Pupil, but more cosmic.  It skates on the blade edge of innocence.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship

seawarrior's review against another edition

dark tense

5.0

Endlessly disturbing and breathtakingly creative, Jawbone is a story of adolescent daring and purity that descends into violence. Ojeda's use of language, bodily disgust, and topical pop culture references create a story that is unique to the point of mythological. The horror draws the reader in and then clamps down its teeth, culminating in an ending soaked in madness and terror. One of the greatest horror stories I've ever read, and not recommended for the faint of heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Confinement, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Excrement, and Bullying

Moderate: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Torture, Outing, Sexual harassment, and Child abuse

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

The writing itself was good but the book felt too hinged on Freudian and pseudo intellectual points that while given the instability and irrationality of the character due to both traumas and age made sense, I think bogged down the book itself because I think it accidentally undermined any attempted theme 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Torture, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, and Rape

rebeccafarren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Body horror, Animal death, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

caracabe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Self harm, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Body horror, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Child death, Animal cruelty, Lesbophobia, Animal death, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Classism, Bullying, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Animal cruelty, Death, Excrement, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders

hi_im_tate's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I loved the formatting of this book. The few reviews I skimmed over didn't mention it. There are chapters that are like regular chapter books, full of text, and then there are chapters that are formatted more like interviews. The chapters, also, jump between characters and past and present. If that isn't something you like, I suggest not reading this book. There were times were it was hard to read because it felt like the sentences just went on and on and on with several words that confused me and were hard to pronounce.

Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before. 

The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.

The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.

The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Violence, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Classism, Stalking, Murder, Outing, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Torture, Cannibalism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Alcohol, Child abuse, Confinement, Fatphobia, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship