Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

80 reviews

foxonabook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I’m a sucker for historical fiction and this book’s premise was really interesting. I practically read it in two sittings because it's well-written and easy to read. However, given the fact that this is a character-driven book, I felt that most, if not all, of the characters lacked any depth or dimension to them. With that said, I’ll still be reading the sequel ☺️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Grief, Blood, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Rape, and Murder

maggiemercutio's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking and Slavery

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Rape

glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? No

3.0

I didn’t love this book, but I didn’t hate it either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Trafficking, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Misogyny

vrryan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

gilroi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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? No

3.0

An excellent work of historical fiction, showing the lives of the Roman underclass. I wish more books were written about people history would rather forget, especially since the lives of slaves and prostitutes were unusually well-documented in Roman history. All the characters are real and varied, and the author deftly avoids a lot of the worst tropes associated with this sort of story. My only complaint was feeling the ending was a little rushed, but the last chapter more than makes up for it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Classism, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Slavery

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, and Rape

Minor: Abortion

jackie_recommends's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicide

amandasbookreview's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

 

Thank you, Elodie Harper, NetGalley, and Union Square & Co. for the opportunity to read this book!

“Either we choose to stay alive, or we give up. And if it’s living we choose, then we do whatever it takes.”

THE WOLF DEN

I spent the past three days reading The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper. I have wanted to read it sooner but work has kept me from diving in. I am so glad I finally found time to read this book. It took me back to Pompeii in 74 CE. Amara was once a physician’s daughter. But after his death, the debts were high and she was sold as a slave and now is forced to work as a prostitute at one of Pompeii’s most infamous brothels. Survival is their focus and Amara is determined to one day be free. She will use her wit and allure to free herself and support the women around her.

But first. Trigger Warnings: slavery, abuse, sexual assault, rape, child loss, miscarriage, suicide

This is NOT an easy book to read and it is not meant for everyone. Years ago, I went to the natural history museum that had a Pompeii exhibit on display. They displayed the casts of the victims who were killed in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE. They also showed some fresco paintings from the Lupanar. So it was fascinating to read about this history that took place almost 2,000 years ago. The author does a fantastic job at bringing these fictional characters to life and making them feel real. The characters all come from different backgrounds and have been forced into horrors that many cannot even imagine. They all have different reactions to these horrors. Some give up, some fight, some push their emotions away… but all their feelings are valid, no matter how different. It shows that there are many ways to react to trauma.

I cannot wait to see what is in store for Amara in the next book. Her world is changing and will no doubt find a way to fight her way to a freedwoman with independence. She has already met some historical figures such as Pliny the Elder. Another interesting thing is that the fatal eruption is only 5 years away. So there is still so much historical content to be explored. In a time where women are considered to be chattel, it is inspiring to watch them come up with their own ways to survive and support each other. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Grief

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Slavery, Rape, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Trafficking, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Vomit, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Abortion

lydiamaevee's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Grief, Death, Confinement, and Blood

Minor: Abortion

ninjamuse's review

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper is a refreshing take on historical fiction. Not only is it set in Roman Pompeii rather than northwestern Europe in the 19th or 20th centuries, but it’s centered on enslaved sex workers and told in modern language. (No thou’s or attempts to mimic Latin here!) The author has done a great job of bringing the ancient world to life and making it feel nearer than it is. 

The book focuses on Amara, born into a middle-class Greek family and sold into slavery after family tragedy. As she does her best to better her circumstances at any cost, we get not only a portrait of a living Roman city with its pubs, parties, clothing stores, food stalls, and everyday injustices, but also a wonderful sense of the friendships and competition within the brothel she works in. I loved seeing how the women there formed a community among themselves, and how they fit into the wider society (or didn’t). I got the real sense that Harper had not only delved deep into how Roman society would’ve worked at the street level, but had done her diligence regarding the lives of (modern) sex workers too.

I also thought that Harper did a good job portraying the characters as complex, fallible, and human. She gives her female characters, especially Amara, the full range of emotions and all are believably imperfect. The worst of the men get sympathetic moments and the best of them, damning ones. They all feel of their time too—relatable or familiar, but also holding attitudes and beliefs that remind you this isn’t a modern story. (For instance, it’s clear that Amara knows slavery sucks for all enslaved people, but she never quite questions why slavery is even a thing.)

All in all, reading this felt like reading about real people leading real lives much more often than it felt like reading a novel. It’s a slowish read that feels at times like it’s digressing or offering up set pieces of Pompeiian life, but those moments all get woven back in neatly by the end. (It’s also slowish because of emotional drain. I couldn’t binge-read because bad things kept happening.) I found the ethical dilemmas compelling, though—if you’d damned no matter what, what’s the right option?—and enjoyed both how Harper told this story and woven in her themes and critiques. It’s definitely been one of the highlights of my reading month and I hope it gets a lot of attention once it’s out.

Note: while this book is definitely pro-sex work and has a lot of sympathy for those who find themselves forced into that life or exploited, it’s still set within an incredibly misogynistic society that saw no problem with degrading or harming women. If harassment, issues with consent or boundaries, or sexual violence are things you don’t want to read about, this might not be the book for you. They’re rarely graphic, but definitely prevalent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship