Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Dressmaker by Rosalie Ham

8 reviews

sandwiiche's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

1.0

no thank you, this book was so boring. hated all the characters, except tilly. and probably teddy and farrat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death, and Rape

Minor: Stalking and Misogyny

camoo3032's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I don't know much about fashion or sewing so I had to look up many words, this disrupted the flow of reading for me. There was a very little character development and as a result, I didn't care very much for the characters. This might be one of those rare cases where the movie is better than the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Sexism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child death, Bullying, Death of parent, Infidelity, Dementia, and Drug use

thems0kitty's review against another edition

mysterious sad slow-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

2.0

This book was a pretty dull read. It was difficult to differentiate between the large cast of characters, I couldn't picture the incredible amount of dresses described, and things just felt like they happened for no reason. If you're interested in this story I'd give the movie a go; it rearranges plot events to make everything seem more purposeful, cuts out so many unnecessary characters and subplots that lead nowhere, shows you all those gorgeous dresses, and is actually funny and emotional in a way the book was trying to be but somehow wasn't.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Body shaming, Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

aliwallis's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

What a fantastic read! It’s engaging, mysterious, and has many enormous twists and turns. This book will have you on the edge of your seat one minute and in tears the next.

The town of Dungatar presents a complex dynamic that allows us to truly face the consequences of living in an insular community. Its message bears lots of relevance to our contemporary society.

Despite its emotional intensity, it’s not too difficult a read, and is perfect for those struggling to find time in the day for reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Minor: Misogyny, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

sophieharvey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault

lauraworthnz's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Death

lindsbal's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Sexual assault

danajoy's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I went into this book knowing nothing. I leave it unsure but happy I finally read it. 
The Dressmaker is the story of a small town in rural Victoria called Dungatar, centred around its residents and their gossip. Even though its written on the cover I didn't realise this was an Australian Gothic novel so expect a lot of floral descriptions (gross ones at that) and a stodgy country town full of people with secrets. 

The novel's protagonist, and the titular dressmaker, is Myrtle Dunnage, back in town to check on her mentally ill mother. They're outcasts and the subject of a lot of gossip. The townspeople are quite self absorbed and have an issue with Tilly (what Myrtle now goes by) until her expert fashion design and dressmaking starts to benefit them. 

I definitely wouldn't classify this story as a romance. It is more of a gothic historical fiction. This story rewards people familiar with intricate fashion design as many of the gowns are described quite thoroughly. Now that I have finally finished the novel I look forward to watching the adaptation and seeing some of these dresses come to life. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Vomit