Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

11 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

kycerae's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

emcheym's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-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? No

0.25

This book was very strange and I really disliked it. I feel like I never figured out what was going on. I couldn’t tell you if this book is set in the past or the future, or the characters ages, or what happens to them. It just felt like a lot of sex, violence, and cursing and no real plot or character development.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Cursing, Suicide, Death of parent, Confinement, and Grief

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

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

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

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