Reviews tagging 'Violence'

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

50 reviews

disguisedposer's review

dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

vicrine's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.0

2/10 my God why was this so long and complicated 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Classism

vicreads24's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book hooked me at the beginning, I was very invested in the characters throughout the story. However, the pacing lost me a bit in the middle. I think this book could have been shorter and I would have enjoyed it more. It just felt like the same thing was repeating for a while, which made it more difficult to get through. I think Chris Whitaker’s writing is great, and I’m willing to check out more of his work. He did a great job with creating complex characters and including themes of friendship, found family, and recovery from trauma. He also does a great job of putting multiple twists throughout to keep the reader invested, this is what made me push through the slow middle part. Overall, I would still recommend, especially if you’re someone who’s into true crime/mysteries. Also check trigger warnings as there are some heavy topics discussed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

crayolabird's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

Patch with his eyepatch and Saint with her chain-smoking, bus-driving grandma, are two misfit kids that find each other in middle school.  To have a true best friend, it's the greatest gift, especially at that age.  But both of their lives hit a complete trajectory shift when Patch is brave enough to defend a local girl from tragedy - and Saint is left behind.  Both of their experiences will lead to trauma and loss, love and a fierce desire to protect, as well as the kind of obsession that can both taint and color an entire lifetime.

Wow.  I went into this knowing nothing, as I love to do.  Reader, you should know that it is LONG.  Not QUITE too long, for me, but bordering on it.  Yes, it would've benefited maybe from some tighter editing, but when the climax came (me, with my hand over my mouth as I listened, barely breathing) I couldn't think what could've possibly been left out.  All the little details, they matter.  The cast of characters is large and complex and while there is both bone-deep friendship and the love of the family you choose, there is also a deep and complex kind of evil.  The kind that of evil watches you over your shoulder for decades and can't get away from.  

Here is all the things I loved in this book that swirled around to make this the kind of listening experience that lingered in my head: paintings hung in pride of place, honey making, tenacious investigators, the power of memory, the way people can rescue us both from literal catastrophe and from the demons inside us and, most of all, the beauty in a life, saved.

Five stars for how it captured me, in all the ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Bullying and Abortion

memusings's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder

This is not for the HSP reader. For all the content warnings and they are legion, this is such a well told story that weaves so many threads and brings them to a fulfilling conclusion.

mybestfriendisabook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

4.25

took halfway to get fully engaged into it. slow burn. short chapters made it easier to read. much more poetic writing than world building which was challenging. the love made me feel emotional 🥺. ngl didn’t totally know what was going on the entire time as i was impatiently skimming at times but it became clearer as it went on

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault

jenbean's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Grief, Abortion, and Pregnancy

kuharski990's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Violence, and Abortion

Minor: Rape

faithemt's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.0

highly disappointing. Much preferred We Begin at the End by same author. 
this dragged on, was redundant in spots and took forever to resolve. LOTS of editing errors and even geographical ones (palmetto trees do NOt grow in mountains!! they're a seaside tree hahah). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Abortion

jalexpulliamkepler's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

When it’s good, it’s great. Most of the time, it’s boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death and War