Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

30 reviews

waywardcrow's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was so good but I would not describe it as a fun read. Don’t get me wrong, the storyline is very engaging and full of exciting moments. But I was just as happy to put this book down at the end of the day as I was to pick it up at the beginning.

Because the caste system is so dark, cruel, and twisted and my heart was breaking for those at the bottom of society. It is a reflection of other oppressive systems and colonialism throughout history. This is not an escapist read by any means. Ironically, the next book on my TBR is Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents. Hopefully reading this has opened up/prepped my mind for that reflection and I won’t get too depressed reading them back to back lol. 

Anyways! It was very well written and I loved the use of poetry and storytelling throughout the novel. Not only were the acts of oppression mirrors of our world, but so were the acts of resistance. There’s also a lot of mystery and intrigue, I totally have no idea where things are going. I tend to read a lot of more predictable books (which I don’t mind) but this was a nice change to be genuinely surprised about everything that was happening. 

And of course, hip hip hooray for sapphic representation! I was not expecting a world where being LGBT is normalized. But I think we needed it or else this would be an even harder read than it already was. I like the way the romance developed over time, although the romance reader in me yearned for a more angsty portrayal of their internal conflicts as they realized their feelings for one another. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Police brutality, Colonisation, and Classism

aurora4847's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

I get the hype behind this series. The balance between political intrigue, action, and character development was perfect. I could not stop listening. It helps that I love the narrators' voices. I'm so excited to continue the series and see where everything is going next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Gore, Racial slurs, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, and War

This book is intense. There is a strong caste system with all the racism and classism that goes along with it. There are 2 public executions described with varying amounts of detail. Multiple characters experience the death of family members (including parents). The magic system is based on blood, so self harm for rituals is common. One caste suffers mutilation as children (process not described, only results). There is police brutality similar to that in the United States. There are flashbacks to child abuse, and multiple characters are involuntarily confined in varying spaces (including solitary confinement). The main character struggles with addiction through the whole story, and there are depictions of drug use, interventions, and withdrawal symptoms.

richy_qu33r_readzz's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.75

Incredible world-building, and strife is right. El-Arifi devises unique but very clear allusions to the social disparities societies create between race, class, disability and how those in power weave history to support their claims and protect the status-quo. The characters are richly developed, interesting, and create new stories while still fitting the “young person take on the empire” trope. 
There are a few inconsistencies in the small details which distracted me, but otherwise a wonderfully consuming read. Can’t wait for the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, and Classism

dragongirl271's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Slavery, Police brutality, and Grief

Minor: Child death and Vomit

fanboyriot's review against another edition

slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

Read For:

✓ Slow Burn

✓ Queer POC

✓ Grumpy x Sunshine 

✓ Queernormative World 

✓ Interesting Magic System

˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗

Not going to lie this book intimidated me for the longest time, fantasy books with small fonts tend to do that.  However, I really enjoyed this book once I started reading it.  Both the world building and character development were done well.  The queer representation was done so nicely and the topics of addiction were written with care.  It showed addiction in a more realistic light than some books, and showed the cycle of abuse along with recovery.

While it was a little slower in the middle of the book the beginning and end really made up for it.  Overall, the hierarchy of the different colors of blood was such an interesting idea and played well into the plot.

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️

Angst Level: 💧💧

POV: Third Person 

Release Date: 23, June 2022

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Gaslighting

katerinovaaa's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

2.5

It took me 9 months to finish this book and if I could, I would've given up within the first 50 pages. The characters annoyed me sooo much I just couldn't read more than 10 pages a week. The changes of POVs were super chaotic and hard to follow (like 3 changes within 2 pages, help). The beginning was painful.
2.5 stars because I see the world-building must've been time-consuming, the plot made sense, and there was loads of representation.

Trigger warnings / Tropes
🗡mild sexual content
🗡murder, blood, war, poverty, discrimination,...
🗡drugs (a lot, MC; also drugging other people)
🗡alcohol
🗡cruel punishment of children (physical and psychological)
🗡mention of SA at the end (not MC directly)
🗡death of loved ones

🔮3rd POV
🔮w/w relationship
🔮betrayal
🔮love triangle, jealousy
🔮strong bisexual MC
🔮elements of feminism and marxism
🔮competition (multiple challenges)
🔮appreciation of curly hair and curvy body (fat-shaming mentioned)
🔮zero tension between the characters😔
🔮detailed glossary, map

I'm really proud of myself for finishing it. I read the last 300 pages in a week because I had a deadline and FINALLY there was some plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Slavery, Torture, and Kidnapping

the_lesbrarian's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

4.25

I really loved this book and can’t wait to read the rest of the series. It suffered from some pacing issues that had me put it down a few times, but it has so much going for it that I kept returning. The characters are rich and nuanced with relationships that feel like they could jump off the page. It uses familiar fantasy tropes and situations (gamelike trials for leadership, a girl trained as an elite warrior, an underground world of crime, a secretive magic) in new and engaging ways, making for a story that feels familiar and exciting all at once. 


 The world is queernormative, all characters are Black, and there is a slow-burn main sapphic romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Police brutality, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent

babewiththepower's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Death of parent, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Toxic friendship

porcupine_girl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Self harm, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Vomit, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Bullying