Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

24 reviews

sullenswordsman's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Misogyny

rbash2391's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

I found the MC's relationship to be weird because of an age gap with a minor. The substance of their relationship was one of power and control, and the typical gender roles being subverted as each struggled with who they were and who they wanted to be based on a fantasy. The plot was really slow in the first half, it didn't pick up until about 60% and afterwards I was able to finish the book in one sitting. There was a lot of lore that wasn't explained until a glossary at the end that was hardly mentioned at all in the story. SMG's writing seemed so rich and elegant in The Beautiful Ones that I was a little disappointed to not find that here. However, I'm not a noir fan so that may have something to do with it as the story didn't really call for that style. I liked the urban, fantastical elements. I would have liked some more character development but in the end they are each not too much better off than how they started. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Body horror, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Bullying, Classism, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Dementia

Minor: Torture

rhhapsodos'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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

applejacksbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.25

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook for this story. I think it really brings out that this story is a neo-noir story with Aztec style vampires. There are five POVs throughout the story and I think it's the perfect amount. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Animal death, Blood, and Death

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

Each one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books is unique from the others so they’re always a surprise. This one centers around vampires in a futuristic Mexico City. 

Vampires are fairly well-known and definitely undesirable. Sanitation departments around the world keep track of what vampires are doing, and vampires are hunted by both police and each other as various species fight amongst themselves. Particularly deadly and violent vampires escaping from Europe, having been banned, are taking over the gangs and cartels, ignoring the traditions that have kept vampires safe from humans in the past. Internecine battles are destroying the Mexican vampires descended from pre-Columbian times. 

As a take on colonialism and its destruction of natives and their culture, it offers easily recognizable parallels without being didactic. I found the first half of the novel slow and I wasn’t invested in the characters, but both plot and characterization picked up. By the satisfying ending, I’d come to love the two main characters. Worth a read for Moreno-Garcia fans. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Police brutality, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Torture, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Colonisation, Death, and Addiction

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

Multiple POVs and a great modern take on a classic spooky creature- vampires. So many different kinds of vampires from different places are mentioned throughout which was nice to see instead of the typical/well known european vampire images we see all the time. How some characters stories ended was a little unsatisfying though, but I need to stop thinking so many characters always need happy or fully fleshed out endings. This story also touches on colonialism when talking about the europeans and their continental vampires arriving in central and south america.

very glad the dog doesn't die tragically in this book! I was nervous and a bit sad when Cualli was mentioned to probably be dead

Also quick note, I felt a bit weird about how Atl and Domingo's relationship went considering it was mentioned she was about 20 (yeah I get she's a diff species but still) and he was 17. I know at first she was like "no way" and had set that boundary, but then they did the do and I was not okay with an adult/minor situation

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It seemed to drag a little bit in some parts, but overall, a great and surprisingly quick read. I've enjoyed so much from this author and it's a goal that I read everything she has done. 
Def check out content warnings for this as it is a vampire tale so there is a lot of blood.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Vomit, Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Sexual content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Colonisation, Gun violence, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Trafficking, Classism, Cursing, and Kidnapping

louisegraveyard's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, and Gore

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual assault

bookbunnie's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Read this if you’re interested in the histories and abilities of multiple vampire subspecies, love a sweet and simple lovestruck character, and enjoy the classic dynamic of detectives, cops and criminals all being equivalently crooked. 

Don’t read this if you want the elegant prose of ethereal vampire angst, need a lot of character development to be satisfied, or want a villain with substance. 

This book explores the characters’ different relationships to solitude in part by examining their living conditions and in part by their actions taken to preserve, avoid, or accept their loneliness. 

It was a simple and easy read, gritty but not unpalatable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Alcohol, Gore, Death, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Genocide

Minor: Confinement

ellagenetics's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault

queergoth_reads's review against another edition

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

3.75

I wanted to like this book much more than I did. There were a lot of things I loved about it but I just found it didn't grab my attention the way I wanted it to.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Confinement, Drug use, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Misogyny