Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

77 reviews

linhsreadinghour's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

I’m so conflicted with how I feel about this book 🤣 I think I liked it but I wouldn’t rate it 5 stars because I found it to be so so slow until about 60% where it picked up for me. I was so so confused at the start but I still found myself wanting to read on?? The writing was dense and the POVs didn’t start to make sense until something was revealed later on, in which others may had already picked up on. The writer trusts the reader to make their deductions along with the characters but I think I’m not smart enough for this book so I was confused and wished the answer to some deductions were laid out clearly for me in some way - but this is personal preference and not a criticism of the book. Themes of race, morality, identity, indoctrination and the extent one achieves their goals,  were explored. 

Unique fantasy world and magic system with intriguing writing and structure. I’m just glad I’ve read it cause it was on my shelf for so long and everyone raves about it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Death, Grief, and Violence

zsabella's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

nk jemisin is sooo good at hooking readers with loads of mystery and intrigue that gradually introduces us to the world of the stillness. I adore a slow burn world-building atmosphere when it’s written this well! there are intense scenes and character revelations in this that will live in my mind for a while. but personally, this felt like reading a vividly told, heartbreaking prologue of what’s to come in the sequels, so my low rating is a reflection of me being impatient with the plot lines converging in the last few chapters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Violence, and Bullying

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

elsa_lectora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is a second re-read for me. I should have remembered that now it's not the best time to do so (see trigger warning). But this still is an amazing book. Three points of view, a girl, a young girl and a mature woman, slowly entangling one with the other. A thrilling worldbuilding, with pieces of a perfect puzzle inexorably falling into place. The need to know more of the story... 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Bullying

blegborgberg's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Child death, Mental illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief

tangledweb65's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

This was a challenging book to read, and I found it slightly slow to start, but GOD it was worth it. One of those books you finish and immediately reach for the next in the trilogy. I absolutely admire the style of storytelling she manages to achieve, and how she makes the characters such normal people while being so completely not. Absolutely amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, War, Child death, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Violence, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Torture, Xenophobia, and Trafficking

Moderate: Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Deportation, Medical content, Animal death, Colonisation, Slavery, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Hate crime, Mental illness, and Excrement

epbuckley89's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Child death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Murder, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Excrement, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Bullying, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, and Animal death

Minor: Colonisation, Cursing, Genocide, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

sakiido's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Cannibalism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Bullying, Grief, Torture, Sexual content, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, and Pregnancy

emily_journals's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional slow-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

I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, I loved the unique storytelling; I can't really think of anything about this book that I didn't love. This book is told from 3 (kind of 4) different storylines that center on different characters. There are 3 mains storylines being rotated out for most of the book, but the prologue, interludes, and some of the last chapter are all told from a different perspective. The characters in this book are so complex and so uniquely developed and all of the characters in each of the different storylines are all equally developed and interesting. I think the writing of this book is really what stands out the most to me. The way this book is written with the 3 different storylines alongside the omniscient narrator giving hints and clues with the prologue and interludes is so brilliantly done and I've never read another book that does storytelling in this same way before. This book also just has such a cool premise that I personally am so intrigued by, but you don't really learn the premise of the world until the very ending of the book (although it is hinted at earlier) which I think is such a good way to do world building. I very highly recommend this book, but definitely be sure to check trigger warnings for this one because there's a lot of trauma/grief happening in this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Bullying, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, and Transphobia

utopiaandmelancholy's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

So, so tightly plotted, almost like a mystery. The world building is amazing, with its apocalyptic feel. I love the concepts introduced, and the ramifications are all very deeply considered and included. I wanted so badly to stop around page 370ish when everything was calm and happy for the characters, but the last section of the book was an absolute rollercoaster and incredibly compelling. I am starting the sequel immediately.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Physical abuse, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child death, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content, War, and Torture

Minor: Cannibalism, Vomit, and Mental illness

ctara2123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This book punched me straight in the face.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Bullying

Minor: Alcohol and Cannibalism