Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Elektra by Jennifer Saint

183 reviews

tourmaline1703's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I have been reading many mythological or historical retellings recently because I adoe these influences on literature, and this was another great mythological retelling. Blending the stories of the Trojan War and Orestes whilst recentering the story onto Clytemnestra, Cassandraand Elektra, Jennifer Saint creates an emotional exploration of grief, family and revenge in 'Elektra.' The worldbuilding is great, and accessible to anyone, whether or not you have previous knowledge of Greek myth.

The writing is descriptive and engaging, allowing you to truly feel the characters' emotions as their lives are turned upside down. The story is told from the three women's point of view, and each character's personality and feelings are distinguishable from the way Saint writes in each of their chapters. The contrast between mourning in sadness, in Cassandra's case, tothe vengeful grieving of Elektra and Clytemnestra is beautifully shown.

I found the plot to be well paced and intriguing, urging you to turn the page and see how everything unfolded. I thought the multiple perspectives were very effective and allowed the timeline to be clear, whilst building suspense for when the stories finally intertwined. I liked the characters as they were well developed and their relationships to each other were interesting.

Whilst this was a great book, I couldn't fully invest myself in it and I felt like I wasn't completely hooked. It is undoubtedly an emotional story, but perhaps due to my prior knowledge, the tension wasn't as tense for me and I didn't feel as upset or shocked at certain actions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment

irinalast's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Confinement, Rape, Child death, Toxic relationship, War, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, and Misogyny

nightrainfallsmoke1's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Rape

lareinadehades's review

dark emotional medium-paced

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

1.0

Please give me a good story, as much as I like the idea of a feminist retelling, I felt like this one (and others tbh) leave a lot to be desired.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

mdal26's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Slavery, Blood, Child death, Death, Infidelity, War, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, and Sexual violence

sleepypandaa's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: War, Violence, Grief, and Sexism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

amanda_reads89's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Blood, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

ccaz's review

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Child death, Violence, and War

ccee's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

Saint’s prose is readable in that she can compose a sentence, yet her imagery relies heavily on ancient turns of phrase that we’ve seen rehashed again and again throughout these retellings. Cassandra and Clytemnestra had depth, yet Elektra, a stunningly tragic figure, lay flat.

Her take on Pylades and Orestes as sworn brothers made me cringe a little, their relationship felt stiff and platonic, and Elektra’s instant attraction to Pylades felt so far out of the realm of the canon of the Tragedians that it blindsided me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Gore, War, Violence, and Ableism

Minor: Animal death and Abandonment

mrsjburgin's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, Murder, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, Child abuse, Infidelity, Confinement, War, Rape, and Misogyny