Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

99 reviews

bookwormmomma91's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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

3.25

Overly dark gruesome details of SA

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Addiction, Body horror, Child death, and Sexual violence

lampbee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

I can’t tell if i loved or hated this book. It’s very violent in its depictions, at some point it felt needless or even voyeuristic? I didn’t like that element of it especially given the whole plot of the book. The premise I feel was solid and I liked the execution it was just a lot more grim with a lot less payoff than I expected. However I liked the development and the twists not being predictable/trite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Drug use, Gun violence, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual assault, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Torture, and Gore

Moderate: Car accident, Drug abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, and Addiction

The description of Lydia getting

waterboarded with paul’s piss

was a bit intense to the point of me not being sure what the purpose was. Obviously to show

that Paul is evil/irredeemable and is willing to sexually abuse Claire’s sister

but it felt gratuitous. The same I feel could be said for the description of the photos

I understand that gore was required to get their heinous crimes across but the description of the mutilated and cleaved girl hanging from barn rafters while blood-soaked and fully erect men posed for a photo was a lot to take in and I wonder how much detail was required to get the point across

. Maybe I just prefer for rape culture to be referenced or described on a more nuanced level and something of this level wasn’t going to hit — but at very least there can be no debate over whether the crime was “all that bad”. I will say though, I’m probably not the only one, by the end of the book

I was hoping Paul would have to endure some of the torture he doled out. He kept Julia alive for two weeks, I would’ve liked to see him have to endure something of that caliber not a strained but quick death in a forest.

I’m very uninterested in women not stooping to their attackers level , they need to get even, idc.

aimyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have no words! None! 

 It’s not often I’m left this shaken by a book but damn! This was one hell of a ride that I did not want to get off of. Yes it has a lot of gore (that I skipped over) but this book also has so much heart and soul! 
 The Dads letters to his missing daughter are gut wrenchingly beautiful. Lydia and Claire’s relationship is so amazing to unpack. The mother’s denial is also so well fleshed out. 
 I couldn’t fault this book even if I tried. Loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Torture, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Body horror, Violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Kidnapping, Addiction, Suicide, and Infidelity

seekinglucidity's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Gaslighting, Addiction, Drug use, Child death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gore, Murder, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Grief, Stalking, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality, Car accident, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, and Suicide

bluemc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Gun violence, Gore, Rape, and Child death

Moderate: Drug use

loudonuts's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

a gruesome story that was ultimately about the bond between sisters. it didn’t exceed my expectations but it was an okay thriller. at the beginning the hyper descriptive violence was shocking and intense, but by the end of it, it felt pretty gratuitous. was the aim to desensitise me, or was it just bad at keeping me engaged? unfortunately i’m not sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Grief, Child death, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Self harm, Stalking, Gaslighting, Death, Torture, Blood, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, and Gore

Moderate: Infidelity, Addiction, Body shaming, and Fatphobia

beegster16's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Body horror, Child death, Sexual violence, Torture, and Child abuse

Moderate: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide

madicastle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Body horror, Excrement, Suicide, Violence, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Child death, Confinement, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexual assault, and Torture

uncouthsibyl's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

2.0

way way too much sexual violence and torture no thanks

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Blood, Sexual violence, Stalking, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Death, Child death, and Violence

kind of wish i hadn’t read

catieanason's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Such a dark disturbing book. A few parts a skipped past due to the details of harm written about. I wasn’t expecting any of the plots twists (but also was just going with the flow with 0 expectations with this book).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Addiction, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Gore, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, and Sexual violence