Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Акулы во дни спасателей by Kawai Strong Washburn

25 reviews

kshertz's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I will preface this by saying that I’m not a big magical realism person. For me, this novel was one that was unexpectedly dark and devastating. In a way that felt like a lot of trauma that just happens and there’s no resolution. Magical realism that seemingly had no point that I could see was hard. But I know many friends who loved this book so maybe it’s just over my head! I think if you love magical realism and really dark stories with lots of sadness, you would like this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Colonisation

bluedilly's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Drug use, and Medical content

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Alcohol

jazhandz's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Colonisation

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicidal thoughts

ynotlime's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault

minella's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

siyeon_woo's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

mandkips's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Death and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

alrauna's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

beckyjc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I saw this author speak alongside the author of How Much of These Hills is Gold at a literature festival last year and was really interested in what he had to say (he also liked one of my tweets so he's clearly a good guy...).  My high hopes were satisfied (as was the case with that other novel, too).

This is a really soulful book. It explores our relationship with nature, with our traditions and heritage, and how this is changing in the 21st century. I have never been to Hawai'i and had a limited knowledge of cultural traditions there before reading this book. I knew about ukulele and lei but nothing of the history and mythology of the islands and their people. This is kind of the point - Washburn wants to joyfully share the 'authentic' Hawai'i with us, the one beyond the surf bars and volcano treks for tourists, and I lapped it up. I enjoyed looking up some of the language and customs mentioned - especially as they hold such power (can't forget those ancient hula performances I watched on YouTube in a hurry). I always like learning things about another culture or country from novels, I find it really enriching.

There are elements of magical realism and fantasy woven through the story, as the family of characters grapples with the island's evocative ancestral history. I can sometimes find mystical aspects like this a bit jarring (try as I might, I just could not get swept away by One Hundred Years of Solitude...) but Washburn handles this smoothly, I think because his characters are both sceptical and dry-humoured, and open-minded to the spiritual forces they clearly experience. This is a family that feels very real in all its petty squabbles, tense dynamics, and gritty quest for survival, and this grounds the loftier elements of the plot. There is also a very visceral sense of the earth in the narrative. The beauty and danger of Mother Nature (Pele in this case), and the perils of losing our connection to her, are wrapped around the dialogue and action like a creeping vine. 

I have to say that I didn't believe Noa was actually dead for a long time after the scene of his fall. I kept thinking he must be coming back, surely it was leading there, especially as his gift had seemed to be getting more potent? I liked how my expectations were subverted there. I assumed we'd get a resurrection of sorts - and in a way we did, but via some of the other family members, who finally got their own individual moments of fulfilment.

This is an impressive debut novel and would definitely look out for more from him in future.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement and Grief

Minor: Sexual assault