Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

21 reviews

storyonlystory's review

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Blood, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fatphobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Classism

morebedsidebooks's review

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Transphobia, Cannibalism, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

mahitdzmare's review

challenging dark tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

mlewis's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

georgiarybanks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

cantfindmybookmark's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

The degree with which I loved this book has be wondering if I’m ok. Like emotionally. 

If I had to quickly summarize this book I’d say it’s Heathers meets the Craft meets Psycho. It’s about mean girls and toxic friendships and obsession and madness. 

This book places queer, female desire at its center as it explores the horrors of adolescence and aging, the thin line between pleasure and pain, and the many dualities of womanhood. It combines angst and madness in a way that cautions (strongly) against uncontrolled desire. 

Jawbone is a truly disturbing book. Not just with its imagery (which can be downright gross) but also with the very composition of the prose. With each subordinate clause and parenthetical remark within parenthetical remark, the reader grows more and more uncomfortable and the foreboding and claustrophobic atmosphere intensifies. 

This is Ojeda’s first book to be translated into English and all I can say is man, I can’t wait for more. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexism, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Classism

Minor: Animal death

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

I really wanted to love this, and whilst I haven't disliked it, I'm just not that fussed about reading it. So, for the moment, it's a DNF. The writing is absolutely gorgeous and there were some really un-nerving moments. I think I'll come back to this one, I'm just not feeling it right now. 
CW: up to where I read 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Violence, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

our_bookish_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, and Rape

lain_darko's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Alcohol

blackmetalblackheart's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

 Jawbone is not a book for everyone. It is profoundly disturbing at times; filled with messy characters, intense trauma, manipulative behavior, and torture. Yet there is a depth to its message; the connections of the characters, the bonds of mothers and daughters, the idea of purity and potential. The stream of consciousness style of writing gets into the heads of these characters in a way that captures their unique voices, thoughts, and perspectives. Sitting here after having finished, there is an unsettled feeling in my stomach; an uneasiness that is hard to capture in words. And that is the power of this book. Ojeda, and the amazing work of the translator, presents something visceral and powerful. Some will be turned off by that, but those who are not will find something truly excellent within these pages. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death