Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

8 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

awaywiththefairies's review against another edition

The writing is gorgeous, it's just too traumatic to read for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia

agustdefault's review

challenging dark slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

i loved the way this was written. i know there are a lot of complaints about the ending being so vague but i actually kind of liked it. especially since the reader only has as much knowledge as the sisters. incredibly haunting and definitely one i will think of often

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Torture, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Sexism

Moderate: Blood, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Incest

kitten_nuisance's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

1.  Comp titles are evil and should be abolished.  I get why it makes sense for marketing, in the sense of getting rid of the books in exchange for money.  But how many people are satisfied vs. disappointed or even affronted by the comp titles used???  I am more often disappointed, for sure. 

This book really has almost nothing whatsoever to do with The Handmaid’s Tale.  I think that was chosen just to get attention.  I really can’t rant and rave the way I would like about the ways in which the two VASTLY DIFFER, to the point of being near opposites, without spoiling the books.  

 

2.  I actually wanted to read this before I knew of the comp titles, so it’s not their fault alone.  This book is described as a “feminist dystopia,” but I would not really describe it as. . . either thing.  I don’t know how the genres are so far off the mark, actually.  Science fiction?  Fantasy?  Magical realism??  There is an element to why this family lives an isolated life that *may* be true as stated and explained by something. . . science fictional. . . but we don’t even really have reason to believe that’s true.  Some events in the book would lead us to believe that there actually is nothing in this world different from our own, so I guess. . . whatever.  The book didn’t feel like telling us! 

 

There are some insightful lines in the book that are written in an appealing way.  The characters are interesting, if exhausting.  Overall, though, I just don’t know that the story told here was worth my time, sad to say.  There are key facts that are revealed at weird times, or never revealed, that would really change one’s experience in reading the book. . . I’m not someone who always has to know every detail, but these are important things.  I don’t really see the point of what I read otherwise.  

I’m unfortunately feeling some big Emperor’s New Clothes energy in the critical acclaim of this book.  Granted, I am just some person.  Maybe there is big brain appeal here that I just do not get.  As a personal opinion, though, I wish the beautiful cover hadn’t been wasted on this!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and Sexual content

annablume's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The second part was a bit of a slog for me but I loved the ending. A lot of untied ends and completely unreliable narrators.
The prose is phenomenal, dreamy, very of its setting, but the narrating characters have uniquely deleveloped voices.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Vomit, Child abuse, Blood, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, and Torture

elizabethmcintosh's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I found this book dull and cynical and kind of obvious. The writing was overly-flowery and imprecise. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Incest, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

whatsophsreading's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexism, Self harm, and Emotional abuse

gentlethem's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Confinement, Child abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Vomit and Incest