Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda

12 reviews

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

well, I hated that ending. I felt it inching closer and closer to that and still. Really hated it. I wish the story focused more on the weird ass girls and their friendship rather than the teacher. Mostly because they’re CURRENTLY being little freaks and the teacher is a recovering (soon to be relapsed) freak.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Incest, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

idk how exactly to categorize it but uh. creepypastas? ft. a brief slenderman shout out

fernandaptln's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Incest, and Stalking

Minor: Animal death

mondovertigo's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Lesbophobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Gun violence

andrewhatesham's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

Darkly feverdream-like, yet horrifyingly real. This one is for the feral girls. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

hi_im_tate's review

dark mysterious reflective tense 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

3.75

I loved the formatting of this book. The few reviews I skimmed over didn't mention it. There are chapters that are like regular chapter books, full of text, and then there are chapters that are formatted more like interviews. The chapters, also, jump between characters and past and present. If that isn't something you like, I suggest not reading this book. There were times were it was hard to read because it felt like the sentences just went on and on and on with several words that confused me and were hard to pronounce.

Now, onto the contents of this book. I can see why people call this book "gross". It does explore some intense kinks (biting, blood, guns) with minors, but I thought it was done in a good way when they were CONSENSUAL! Reading about minors doing some of these things did gross me out, but I also have to remember that this stuff in real life already. That was another this that made me enjoy this book. The things that happened in this book have happened and will happen in real life. It makes it much more harder to swallow. Looking at the relationships between the girls reminded me of my relationships with friends growing up (though, not as intense). Having a friendship with a group like this, where two are deemed the "leaders" and one an "outcast" really describes adolescent female friendships well in my experience. Growing up with one person all your life makes the two of you merge together in a way you wouldn't have thought possible before. 

The descent into psychosis felt real to me, even though I have never experienced it. The repetitive movements, the noticing small details, and the panic that is ever encompassing a person made ME feel like I was in her shoes. I could hold empathy for her because of what had happened to her and how she "learned" to deal with it.

The dealing of the religious trauma was probably my favorite part. Denying your sexuality, forming something you can actually believe in, questioning everything you've learned about the religion you were raised as. It definitely sheds light on how religion can fuck someone up.

The imagery from this book was wonderfully grotesque. It was a book I didn't want to put down; not necessarily because it was so good, but because I wanted the answers hidden in the pages. And I still don't feel satisfied with what I got 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship

paperknotbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Cerebral and jarring. I believe to be the best cult themed book I’ve consumed.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Eating disorder, and Excrement

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

biblioghoul's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Body shaming and Religious bigotry

kriskrisboom's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

4.0

This book was deeply horrifying in that opaque. Just around the corner  in part because of the rich and textured beautiful language. The translator's note says that translating this book was an unsettling experience. It's a well crafted cosmic/white horror novel. The tension builds masterfully and the conclusion is nebulous and terrifying. The resolution isnt in a plot point but rather the reader's own engagement with the scope of fear inherent in burgeoning womanhood.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Torture, Violence, and Stalking