Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

17 reviews

al_davies_jones's review

challenging dark emotional 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: Pregnancy, Vomit, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Incest, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahkheeter's review

dark mysterious 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

3.75

I’m feeling really impacted by other people’s bad/unimpressed reviews. Initially I felt this book was unbearably slow, but it got better once the men show up (this is in the synopsis, so no spoilers). It definitely picks up and interested me much more after that point. The mystery around the characters and in the backdrop of the main plot is really interesting and dark. I’m not sure anything about this is inspiring, empowering, or even really insightful, but it’s certainly critical of patriarchal control and toxicity and shattering and has a lot of shock value. I think it had potential to be mind blowing and life alteringly good, but instead I would say it’s just dark, mysterious, and fascinating. Don’t read spoilers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Xenophobia, Death, Miscarriage, Violence, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Murder, Misogyny, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Rape, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Incest

aubrey_rose's review

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Incest, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Death

schorlett's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Incest, Death of parent, Self harm, Violence, Sexual violence, Torture, Gun violence, and Pregnancy

peckreadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

mollylikethedrug_'s review against another edition

emotional tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Misogyny, and Self harm

Minor: Miscarriage, Death, Grief, and Rape

hettyreads's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Rape, and Torture

schromrgn's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence

jessdownes's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Animal death and Alcohol

nabila99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

 my first thought as i read this was: i don’t understand why the average rating for this book is so low!

the water cure is a gorgeously written and atmospheric exploration of abuse, trauma, family dynamics, loneliness, and survival as women. we follow the lives of three sisters, mainly the elder two, in their isolated, cult-like family that has convinced them that men are mortal threats to them, and that their abusive “therapies” are the only way to remain strong and unaffected. except one day, when a trio of men arrive on their island, testing their resolve. 

this is not an easy book to read - the abuse detailed in it is graphic, and the pain, loneliness and stockholm syndrome of the sisters is very heavy. i’m not a big fan of the revelations or the ending, and i wouldn’t call this a “feminist dystopia”, but i was enthralled by this slow-paced, eerie, heartbreaking story.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide