Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh

8 reviews

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

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

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

lilyaugust's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Incest and Suicide

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

dreabang's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

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