Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Out by Natsuo Kirino

19 reviews

jan_coco_day's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

When I read Japanese literature, I somehow only pick the most quaint, cozy stories...or the most fucked up shit I've ever seen. This book is the latter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gore, Torture, Blood, Physical abuse, Death, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexism

cabrerajackey's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Torture, Stalking, Rape, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, and Trafficking

erlassig's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Torture, and Murder

reading_for_the_dopamine's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

I agree that the best way to describe the book "Out" by Natsuo Kirino is "feminist noir."

 I read "Out" as part of a reading challenge with the prompt "A thriller or crime novel in translation." This book is outside my comfort zone, as I primarily read romance. However, reading it has inspired me to read more dark mysteries and thrillers. 

The author, Natsuo Kirino, is a Japanese novelist who started writing romance. However, she has been criticised for now writing crime novels with strong female protagonists. As a feminist romance reader, I found her emphasis on women, relationships, and psychology to be the most engaging elements. From the start, Kirino drew me in with her compelling portrayal of four ordinary, flawed, yet resilient women navigating the challenges of disenfranchised underclass women in Tokyo. Each woman's voice was distinct and benefited from Kirino's choice of multiple narratives. Despite these women being morally grey, I celebrated their efforts to support each other, even in particularly gruesome ways. 

This book was less compelling from the mid-section when the secondary male characters were introduced in the middle. These men, perhaps deliberately on Kirino's part, contrastingly feel flat and one-dimensional. The men's perspective slowed the pace and shifted me from the intense world she created. This may not be the experience of other readers who respond to the very explicit horror scenes that then occur. I appreciated that while the violence was frequent and described in explicit detail, it did not feel gratuitous. I enjoyed how Kirino wove the multiple characters' inner world perspectives around the plot's events. Startlingly, this approach reminded me of the plots for a favourite movie, "Love Actually." I would have liked this aspect of her writing to continue to the end.

Overall, I have likely underestimated the rating of this book. I would recommend this book, no matter what genre of books you usually read. It will appeal to readers who like books that focus on the psychological aspects of intense, gritty women and the intersectionality of the damage of patriarchal oppression.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Gore, Domestic abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence

mondovertigo's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Blood, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Toxic relationship, Rape, Torture, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Abandonment, and Trafficking

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

peach0's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual assault

didyousayrysha's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Gore, Sexual assault, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Body horror, and Violence

cariboubob's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Alcoholism and Stalking

celbl8o's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Confinement, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Rape, and Sexual content

averyywilsonn's review

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Debating between 1 or 2 stars. I wanted to like this book so much when I got it at a local bookstore and it had a black lizard vintage crime collection cover but I was oh so very wrong. 
In my opinion poorly written and extremely slow paced for a “thriller”. Which would be okay if the fillers didn’t have so much blatant misogyny and humanizing rapists…? (with no explanation and nothing added to the plot) 
The only thing I got out of this was learning how strong my persistence can be for finishing a book I hate.

Also, the ending is so awful I’m not going to elaborate on it. 
I have many questions for Natsuo Kirino.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Torture, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Gore, Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny