Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

6 reviews

vinzant99's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

I felt the love interest was unnecessary and the point of views felt disjointed and had a hard time staying interested. I appreciated the overall story but didn't like how the author brought it together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, War, Murder, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape and Sexual violence

ariparip's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

3.0

There were unnecessary romantic subplot(s). I understand why the author wanted to use this device for one character (and she explained it in the author's note) but not the other; certain details felt like they detracted from the story and made a character less likable/relatable. In one instance it felt disrespectful.

Having Caroline throw a months-long tantrum after her lover's presumed-dead Jewish wife showed up on the doorstep (of their marital home!) left a sour taste in my mouth. Would that be emotionally complex? Of course! But it was already difficult to relate to a socialite. 

Even worse was having the Nazi doctor and a Polish prisoner have an implied queer moment, though I assume it was supposed to be one-sided. It just felt really disrespectful and as a queer Jewish reader with Polish ancestors that died in the Shoah it didn't sit right with me. 

The weird anti-communism shoehorned in towards the end was also bizarre, especially considering how much of the Polish resistance was comprised of socialists and communists. Other than aaaall that lol the book was well-researched, with vivid descriptions and characters that were properly fleshed out rather than just copied from historical texts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, War, Self harm, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Genocide, Confinement, Death of parent, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Infertility, Torture, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, and Cancer

jdonner's review

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racial slurs, Rape, Gore, Murder, Torture, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Slavery

ems_rxlibrary's review

challenging dark informative tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Rape, Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Racism, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Torture

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Pregnancy

curatedsymposium's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Violence, Terminal illness, Lesbophobia, Death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Hate crime, Murder, Death of parent, Sexism, Antisemitism, War, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Animal cruelty

claudiamacpherson's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Based on the true story of the “rabbits” of Ravensbruck, this book followed the alternately heartbreaking and inspiring story of three women during and after the Second World War. Caroline Farraday is a wealthy New York socialite working for the French embassy and dating a married French opera singer. Kasia Kuzmerick is a teenager in Poland who decides to join the Polish resistance movement. Herta Oberheuser is a rare female doctor, and when she struggles to find a practice willing to take on a woman, she decides to respond to a posting at a government facility—Ravensbruck. The lives of the three women weave together as the war puts them in situations they could never have imagined.

A few years ago, I visited Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps from WWII. It was not (and should not be) an enjoyable visit, but it feels important to go and witness the place where such atrocities were committed, to mourn those who suffered and were killed there. Similarly, this story felt important to read and understand. I have trouble reading stories with graphic violence and cruelty, but I am glad to know the story of the women upon whom the Nazis performed their experiments. It is not a story I have read about or seen in movies or TV shows before. One of the reasons I love historical fiction, particularly when it focuses on women’s lives, is because they are often overlooked or seen as less important in the face of other, “bigger” historical catastrophes. If you have any interest in this period of history, I think this book did a great job of telling the story, especially because it did not end with the end of the war but continued, following the journeys of the three women and how their lives were affected.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): I don’t know that a story like this could ever be said to have a happy ending, but this ending is probably about as close as it gets. It was inspiring and, for the most part, very cathartic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders