Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Ring (Ring, #1) by Kōji Suzuki

100 reviews

emmiebee's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

To hit on some of the questions asked. It's lack of diversity being a Japanese book is more or less to be expected it's more that every single person who played a real role in helping move the plot forward was a guy. The women were few and far between and were either character development, obstacles, or motivation. 
Very early on in the story we're introduced to MC#2 or main support and he's introduced to us as the guy who broke into a girl's house and raped her. Wtf!? Our MC doesn't like this about him but chooses to remain his friend for decades later. Ok. (It's so the author can justify him seeing the tape) how dark he is is brought up multiple times and supposedly the key to realizing what actually happened to our dead girl. (The use of the word supposedly is explained in the spoiler section). The MC isn't a great person either the only time he expressed any positive emotions for his family was when their lives were at risk. I read this having not read the reviews because a "friend" said it was so good, hah. Seriously don't read the spoiler if you plan on reading the book. There's nothing interesting about this once the why of it all is revealed. It doesn't even do the suspense thing well. I would've been *slightly* more invested if they had added a little something to it like the closer they came to the day the more they were feeling watched, or seeing shadows out of the corner of their eyes, or really anything other than the MC reminding us how many days are between him and a week.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Murder, and Rape

Minor: Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

at the end of everything the author tries to walk back everything he set up about the friends dark personality. Again it was a plot device to give his MC a reason to show the tape to him, because his MC is a "good guy" and would never willingly risk someone's life. It mostly follows along with the movie version (US, I don't remember the Japanese version) with the exception of the male MC being married with a kid, and they get wrapped up in the plot halfway through so he sends them to the country while he figures it out, and there's a lot more focus on parapsychology and how the video was made. The most important, infuriating part of this book that made me rant about what a waste of time it was was that instead of going with an ok villain arc of this viral video as an answer to the countrywide cruelty her mother faced and she feared as people with telekinetic powers, the cruelty that led to her mother's ultimate suicide, all powered by the rage of being killed by the man who just raped her. The author decided, no she's intersex and so can't have kids and was a virgin (because of the shame of her testicles) and the video is making her a mother to millions. Fuck you, kuji, jfc.

kylenestrella's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Transphobia

hanner1210's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Ignoring the main character and his side kick, its a decent book. Definitely not as scary as the American version of the movie, but a good mystery, especially if you haven't seen/don't know the movie. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Rape

There are a couple mentions of it, but it is not explicit.

emilyyjjean's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

Fantastic! I really loved the movie The Ring, and never knew it was based off of this book. The book is even better than the movie! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Suicide and Death of parent

lexxluthor's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Confinement, Death, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism and Terminal illness

augreading's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

I can’t rate this book. I enjoyed it for the entire run, but when I was done I was left conflicted. Spoilers incoming.

One character is a rapist, and I read the book with the thought that it would surely tie into the themes and be resolved and it just never is. Yes it’s implied that he wasn’t actually a rapist and was lying but that doesn’t really explain why the main character is so cool with him while not knowing he’s lying.

It’s hard to rate this as I’m reading a translation of a 30 year old book from a different culture so there is definitely symbolism I just missed due to not having context. So I can’t rate it and I can’t recommend it. My only advice is the watch the movie Ringu. It’s shorter,scarier and better.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

stevienielson's review

dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Medical content

kmolson29's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Rape

flowtjo's review against another edition

medium-paced

1.0

It has some of the most egregious use of intersex characters, sexism and rape as plot features I've ever seen. It's not a bad translation job, a product of its time or cultural difference - the writer had a couple of good ideas and wrapped them up in his terrible views, badly defined characters and very limited knowledge of both the occult and science. A mildly interesting story that turned out to be such a nasty little book. So so disappointing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide, and Transphobia

Starts off OK, but the latter half of the book is riddled with transphobia/anti-intersex speech, a lot of rape, and healthy doses of sexism against women throughout. Ye been warned.

megmurphtay's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape