Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

363 reviews

napathetic's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

Fun, well-constructed book. Enjoyed the sprawling cast of characters and multiple POV style storytelling where different subplots come together and merge. 

With that said, I don’t think this book offers much insightful social commentary or analysis. The message here is simply that absolute power corrupts absolutely, regardless of gender. Would have been more impactful to add some nuance and go beyond that.  (Also, the conversation between Naomi and Neil that bookends the narrative is very meta, but it ultimately feels gimmicky.)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

jazlynaw's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

A simple understanding of power as violence, and I wish that the book could have explored either social power, or matriarchy in non-western contexts. I think that the book tried to take a global approach without considering the historical past or culture of many locations, and still focused pretty heavily on the US and Europe. This book presents matriarchy and patriarchy as two sides of the same coin, when historically matriarchies have typically revolved around community, not violence, particularly in non-Western contexts. That being said, I really enjoyed this book as a deconstruction of gender essentialism.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

leilorenzo's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Poderosa narrativa que discute el sexismo y patriarcado tóxico de hoy a través del análisis de una sociedad invertida.
Presenta desarrollos interesantescon personajes diversos que nos muestran múltiples facetas de la historia y su desarrollo. Vas cambiando de opinión al respecto de cada una/o a medida que avanza la historia. Hubo un par de plot twists que no me vi venir, estuvo muy interesante.

Le faltó un pelin para ser perfecto por lo GRÁFICO que fue y no me lo esperaba.
Miren las advertencias, realmente tiene de todo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, and War

Minor: Child death, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

whiskrr's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Gore and Slavery

m_egg_o'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

algorowara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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: Death, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Medical content, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and War

james1star's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a book I know I will have to reread to fully compile my thoughts and what actually went down in it. I enjoyed it very much, it’s not my genre but did find the reading to be accessible, it pulled me forward and on the whole I would recommend it. 

The plot starts in the future with the author, Alderman, being sent a manuscript for a book written by a male friend who’s asking for advice and this book is written as a faux history in some sense of past events. He wants to tell the story he’s made up of what might’ve gone down and how something started leading up to a big event that we get to at the end of the book. In it, one day girls of around fourteen-sixteen learn they have ‘the power’ whereby they can sent electric through their hands to inflict pain. What ensues is a revelation of how this fact impacts the world and society now it’s no longer the men who have the (physical) power and advantage with the gradual changing dynamics of political influence into the hands of women. We get perspectives from four main characters: Roxy, an Essex gangster child, Allie, an abused orphan in America, Tunde, a Nigerian reporter (the only male character with a real voice), and Margot, an American politician (I’m not 100% on the facts as writing this a while after reading it). 

I really loved the way it presented the stupidity of gender based discrimination, violence and misogyny as here the shoe is on the other foot in a sense. It’s refreshing and I think Alderman really cleverly showed the subtleties and outward sexism present (laws and way men are viewed on the street, assaults, men getting attacked and being made to feel afraid) in our contemporary societies in different countries as it’s really set in our time. There’s a lot more to the book, different sub-plots and honestly I think it would be a great one to study. Some scenes are difficult to read but I though it was very clever and there’s many things to think about and take away from it. Some parts didn’t wholly make all that much sense and plot points slightly irritating too that meant I didn’t love it but it was still very decent and I’m certainly willing to give this a future reread. 

I really loved the ending (this isn’t a spoiler as it’s after she’s read the book and her advice) which sums up I think the message portrayed: ‘Neil, I know this might be very distasteful to you, but have you considered publishing this book under a woman's name?’ 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

p_a_griffin'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

1.0

This book needs some serious content warnings! It's not a poorly written book, but the entire story focuses on violence and rape. I read the whole thing, but I really wish I hadn't. Maybe if you've never experienced trauma, it would make you think, but I don't need that in my fiction. CW: violence, rape, molestation, war, more violence, more rape. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and War

neens_m's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death

vilandra_petrova's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence