Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

66 reviews

gawdz0rz's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

unsettling and dark. unfortunately, the wasp factory had me feeling left behind on a few things for a while, and even now i’m still a little confused on their relevance, but maybe that’s my fault. the plot twists were interesting, and i think the book overall is an interesting critique of gender and toxic masculinity. it’ll be interesting to read this again in the future knowing how the book ends. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, and Murder

autarch's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

petepilgrim's review

dark medium-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

1.0

This has been on my radar for years, and finally  it up has been such a disappointment.

Perhaps it would have been shocking once, but the writing around the child murders is not strong enough to support the lack of characterisation or plot. 

A book like this shouldn't be boring, and my god it's a drag.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Mental illness, and Murder

leiaslizzy's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Medical content, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Misogyny

This book is utterly insane from start to finish.

moonmoonsun's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

animal deaths and torture: dogs, rabbits, mice, sheep wasps

ab1gail_g's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

cartimandua's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

beitidh_flitcroft's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

horrifically graphic in places, but utterly captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Murder

mark_74's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

This is a very dark story. Take heed of the content warnings as they probably don't do justice to how vicious and grotesque this is in places. At the same time though I couldn't stop reading it, it is as fascinating as it is disturbing. I've actually read this three times now, leaving a long gap between each so I can recover, and I still love it and loathe it as much as I did the first time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Fire/Fire injury

readerofdafuk's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Hot damn this was a fucked up little book of a fucked up kind and family and Jesus christ I never want to meet this kid in an alley. Like the twist at the end was interesting, but idk if that really explains everything about the fucked up little mind that Frank has in his head

The part with the wasp factory was probably the most disturbing part 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury