Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

42 reviews

zeeck07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, and War

murano's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm and Vomit

elizabethchoi'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? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

amandinesophie's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, and Murder

vmatias26's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

longhairzuko's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

berenicemarie's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War

ananko's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide, and Torture

veilchen's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

1.0

The title pretty much sums up the story. It tells the story of the Illiad from the perspective of Briseis, a queen turned slave. But instead of giving us a new take on it or exploring the personality of one or more female characters, Briseis is a silent observer with no influence on the story. Maybe that was what the author was going for, but in that case, the description of the book was misleading. 
The first half covers the beginning of Briseis enslavement and how terrible men can be - especially in war times. But if I wanted to read about that, I would simply open a history book, not a book promising to give amazing women the voice they deserve.
Then in the second half the author seems to realise that the only story Briseis can tell is that Achill has mommy issues and women are treated like objects - which becomes very repetetive. So we get random chapters that tell us what Achill is up to, effectively silencing any womans voice further. We get a few glimpses into Achilles and Patrokloses relationship - which are definitely some of the highlights - but only very vaguely and with no original thought.

If you are like me and expected a story somewhere between the two works of Madeline Millers "Circe" and "The Song of Achilles", you will be severely disappointed. But if you want to read of many ways women can be mistreated and what a terrible thing war is, then this is a book for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Murder

Moderate: Torture

rhysecakes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexism

Minor: Animal death