Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

367 reviews

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

eliotk's review against another edition

dark funny informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Provides important commentary on the patriarchal nature of society and what it would be like flipped on its head. This book points an accusatory finger at power itself instead of the gender that holds the power at any given time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

silver_violet's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Torn on the rating. The idea was very interesting but I'm just not a fan of the writing. I tried not to read too many reviews but I agree with one about the vague, dumb ending. This had so much potential to be better than it turned out. When things picked up toward the end, there were some intense moments though. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Trafficking and War

saraluna's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

allyjshand's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

3.5

Power was darker and more graphic than I was expecting, although I can’t fault that as that’s more of a personal preference. I loved the premise and found the power subversions seen throughout the book clever although often challenging to read. I also enjoyed the format of the book with the different POVs, the emails, and images as they added something different. Having said that, I felt like the relationships between characters were sometimes weak, perhaps bringing them together sooner would have helped this. I also didn’t enjoy the ending as I didn’t really understand the characters’ motives. Overall a mixed bag and a three star read for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Child death, Drug use, and Fire/Fire injury

mkegley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

Moderate: Gun violence and Trafficking

Minor: Drug abuse