Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

35 reviews

maryellen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Gaslighting, and War

talonsontypewriters's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

2.5

Excluding a few awkward bits each, the worldbuilding and plot are both fairly strong -- one twist especially spiked my enjoyment -- but I don't honestly feel like the themes, heavy-handed as they are, delved quite as deep as they could have. In particular, certain tenets of the criticized ideological systems go unchallenged and even almost tacitly confirmed as true. I guess you could argue that they were meant to be more subtly folded into the rest of the overarching criticism, but since other things are directly addressed just fine, I find it a bit odd.

Also, maybe I'm just oversensitive about F/F relationships rarely being afforded the same complexity as M/M or F/M ones, but the distinct handling of Kyr and Mags's identities and relationships does rub me the wrong way. Mags and Avi's relationship is consistently one of the more plot-relevant (and a bit fucked up for various reasons), and despite not being perspective characters, they each get in some brief thoughtful dialogue on their identities and realizations thereof. Kyr, on the other hand, gets some repressed subtext and

a single date with a relatively minor, extremely underdeveloped character in a different timeline

, and her introspection about her sexuality is pretty much limited to that aforementioned repression/dismissal and fleeting surprise, which comes across as especially odd given the worldview she starts out with.

Kyr's bigotry in general felt a bit... diluted, as if the author wanted to write a deradicalization arc but didn't want to start her off as so obscenely awful that many wouldn't be interested in reading -- the point gets through, just judging from how many reviews are complaining about how unlikable she was (that is the point!), but to me it felt like a pulled punch. It's not helped by how quickly her development occurs, either, with some token resistance and lingering vestiges afterward not quite enough to make it feel truly realistic or cathartic.

Fine as a story, but falls short in its scaffolding social commentary, which is neither especially unique in concept nor exceptionally powerful in execution. Might have been better marketed as YA, though I feel some further nuance than is provided would still be expected there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Eugenics.

ddclarke's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book when I started. I went in knowing nothing but the back blurb (which felt very trope-heavy and YA focused) and the Hugo nom, and the beginning of the book propped that up... 

... but then I couldn't stop reading, and by about halfway through it was clear there was something great happening. 

I loved the turning of the tropes, the themes, and all they wonderful grey. I also love that this seems to be a standalone book; while I'd love more from the universe, I hope the characters specifically are let to rest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Genocide, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and War

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, and Gaslighting

stardust_heidi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

This book is SO GOOD. It took me a while to read, only because I’m reading a gazillion other things at the same time. But I think reading this in smaller bites was the best way to do it. The themes in this book are so relevant to the current times and political shit show. 

Kyr isn’t necessarily the most likable character, a fact she is confronted with many times throughout the book, but I found her character arc super compelling. I think the roller coaster of an arc she experiences is very relatable to someone stepping outside of this regimented, propaganda-filled upbringing; to find that the universe is nothing like she’d been taught it is…it’s a hard pill to swallow. To see her xenophobia morph into acknowledgment of personhood; to see the injustices endured by her fellow women, to learn what it is to love and care about individuals outside her circle — honestly, I found it such a fantastic journey.

It’s not pretty. It’s painful, ugly, and dark along the way to destroying this patriarchal shitshow. But I think the author did a great job and inserting these slivers of optimism and drive in order to make the world better for others. 

I was engaged the whole book. It took me on some twists I wasn’t expecting, though I admit I’m usually easy to please lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape

eyesofcrows's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A pretty good book. I liked a lot of the themes and the slow progression of “frick, I’m the bad guy” that isn’t all together rushed. There were some surprising things and twists that I wasn’t expecting and I actually enjoyed. I wished there was more detail of some of the cultures and surroundings and minute little things, but this is a YA book and I’ll allow it its brevity. 

I like how most characters aren’t individual bad or individually good but victims of the cruelty and surroundings they were born with or raised in. That’s vey cool.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Gaslighting

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Murder, and Sexual harassment

milliemudd's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Murder, and Outing

Minor: Misogyny and Abortion

toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

Really loved this, it kept me on my toes the whole way through and the characters were so interesting and compelling. The audiobook was amazing too, the narrator did a great job with all of the voices. Wonderful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Rape, and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest, Racism, Police brutality, Abortion, and Outing

minervacerridwen's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

I love that this book didn't treat brainwashing as something a character can just as easily shake off. The things Kyr had learned all her life kept returning to haunt her, and I think that's the strength of this book. Action-packed with some shocking turns and interesting worldbuilding, Some Desperate Glory was an impressive rollercoaster.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

wordswritinstarlight's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

Forced pregnancy

paukinra's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Outing, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Xenophobia and Pregnancy