Reviews with content warning for Animal death - It Will Only Hurt for a Moment

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Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson

10 reviews

singsinthecar's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

A complex and amazingly woven story. Suspense, a little humor, and a cast of diverse characters. It has multiple twists that constantly maintained my attention.

Trigger warnings:

Attempted rape
Bloody injuries
Descriptions of abuse of women in the 19th century

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alexisgarcia's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.0

the more i think about this book, the more mad i get. the only good character in this was ingrid (except for what she did to the young kid (i forgot his name and already returned this to the library)).

the large amount of detailed descriptions of

rape

were completely unnecessary imo. same thing with the random

animal cruelty which was never explained

so many crazy things happened with exactly 0 explanations

who killed all of the artists, who killed the animals and why, how the nails play into this, how the glass appeared in the clay, etc. i could go on and on

. it left me wondering what the point of including it even was.

also don’t get me started on the ending. it was so out of left field and unsatisfying. it felt like she couldn’t figure out a way to wrap up all of the different plot points so she decided to go with something that had nothing to do with the entire book.

i really really liked bloom so this felt like such a letdown.

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anabookadventures's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

3.0

I was really loving this at the beginning; the atmosphere and setting are top notch! But the S.A. content was a bit much for me, and that ending was absolutely trash for all this story was leading up to, so much more / better could have been done to wrap this up. I appreciate the themes, just think the execution could have been better.

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minimicropup's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I liked most of this, even when I was angry at certain characters. It was engaging, thought-provoking, weird, and atmospheric. But the end felt incomplete or tacked on.

Energy: Hostile. Evasive. Cautious.

🐕 Howls Sudden switch from slow-burn weird horror to popcorn thriller (convenient rush of villains, chaotic bursts of violence). The story introduced a lot of mysterious sub-plots and angles, then lost or cut them off abruptly at the end (I have so many unanswered questions). Reiterating the commentary on misogyny and narcissism instead of progressing the story.

🐩 Tail Wags The art installation descriptions and insights into the art-making process. The slow, steady pace allowed for gradual character development.Showing how women have historically been labeled irrational, spoiled, or mentally unstable for expressing simple boundaries. How it didn’t shy away from exposing how some women are complicit in perpetuating those injustices. Balanced view of abuse and sociopathy transcending gender. Unsettling ending. The justice moments (the plot made me mad, but not in a frustrating way).

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in Tranquil Falls Artists’ Retreat in Georgia, USA.

Perspective: A potter who hasn’t made art in the last five years while in a toxic relationship finally gets out and is accepted to an artist’s retreat. While there strange things start happening, including dreams where they are a guest at the abandoned resort on site.

Timeline: Current (2020s). 🍂 Beginning of fall.

🔥 Fuel: Cliffhangers. Group dynamics. Atmosphere. Why are the artists suddenly acting strangely? What really happened between the retreat leaders and an especially misogynist artist? What’s with the second floor of the cabin our MC is staying in? Why was the resort hotel suddenly abandoned?

📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief with a touch of paranormal

Mood Reading Match-Up:

Oak must. Yeast cinnamon and apple. Distant roar of a waterfall. Lavender potpourri. Stained glass windchimes. Mildew. Rot. Cold stone. Antiseptic.

Glimpse of 1800s pseudoscience health resort
Books to read in the forest, fall vibes
Escaping a toxic relationship, starting anew romantic energy
Cast of eccentric artists
Exploring secret areas off-limits
How did they die? Mysteries
Visions, nightmares, out of body experiences
Third person whispering context to us as we watch scenes unfold, getting to know everyone alongside the main character
Chaos and strangeness
Irony and ghostly revenge

Content Heads-Up: Alcohol abuse, alcoholic parent. Narcissistic parent, no contact. Animal death (brief on page; possum, snake, rabbits). Vomit. Corpse/skeleton (discovery of). Toxic, narcissistic colleagues. Bullying (vandalism, theft, threats). Confinement (implied, evidence of and on page). Misogyny. Ageism (towards younger gen). Sexual assault, rape (within relationship; descriptive recall on page). Medical (injuries, heart attack, bleeding). Drugging. Forced institutionalization (medical asylum). Personality disorders, psychopathy.

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Dark brown, pale, and ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Library Hardcover

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶

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lv_'s review

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dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This book kept me turning the page but I was ultimately pretty disappointed with the ending. No follow through on what became of other characters and I think

Kyle appearing right at the end was just…unnecessary

. I think the premise was good and I still enjoyed it but it came up lacking.

Another thing, there were a lot of words in the book used that felt like the author just pulled them out of a thesaurus. Took me out of the story every time.

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booksinbreweries's review

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dark mysterious sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House (Ballantine) for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book held the perfect combo of thriller and scary ghost story for me. The atmosphere is creepy and haunting and beautiful. The backstory and the main plot beautifully intertwine. The characters are unique and well built, even the ones barely on the page for long. While it will be a VERY tough read for anyone who has been in an abusive relationship, I thought it was very well handled. This is not an experience I’ve had so I cannot speak to how well the topic is covered but I felt it was done tactfully and beautifully.

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nicekweenreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

5.0

While I can certainly see how this can be a decisive book, I absolutely loved it.

Pros:
I really liked and related to Sarah, the main character. She is a women who just cut off ties with her manipulative mother and just left an emotionally abusive relationship. Accepted to an artist colony, Sarah is excited to find who is without her ex. However, strange events start occurring the moment she accidentally digs up a woman when trying to dig an area for a kiln. From there she is mysteriously connected to the dead woman, receiving flashbacks to her life, and the horrors that await at the property.

Most of the characters felt real and multidimensional. I could relate to a lot of them in many ways (except the artistic talent).

I also really liked the feminist perspective this book was written from. It's very refreshing in the horror genre and sadly relatable.

Another relatable relationship was the "romantic interest".

A lot of books have some hunky, magical man to come in and save the heroine's heart, this isn't it. I love they didn't get together. Right person, wrong time.

Though I'm not normally a fan of historical horror, I thought it was done well.

The historical truth of how easily women were given to asylums added an extra layer of eeriness. The ties between Emily and Sarah served as a great, yet heart breaking parallel. I do wish Emily has a better redemption though.

Cons:
I felt the pacing was a little slow in beginning. We spend a long time with characters that don't really matter much.

I am positive the nails were supposed to have some bigger conenction but I didn't get it. It was really clear what those who held them besides being randonly possessed.

I also felt the ending was also little rushed and odd, especially when compared to how long the beginning of the book was.

The ex boyfriend showing up at the end in the hotel was so odd. Especially since there was no expalnation if he and Gale were working together.

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book_byrd's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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jerichamacie's review

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dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, but the ending really soured it for me. It was such a slow burn then suddenly all the action is crammed into the last 20 pages. A lot of things never make sense or just didn't need to happen at all.

The eerie woodland gothic vibe was great, the main character was kind of insufferable and judgey.

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author_aryoung's review

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? No

2.0

Thank you NetGalley for the free arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I'd heard that this novel was to be a feminist horror/ thriller, I was really excited for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC. While the contents are technically of a feminist nature, the execution of the concept fell flat for me.

We are following 26-year-old Sarah as she flees from her abusive ex and senile alcoholic mother to seek solace at an "off-grid" artists' retreat. It quickly becomes obvious that escaping her troublesome past won't be as easy as Sarah had anticipated.

I feel that the beginning of the book should include certain content and trigger warnings as there is animal abuse and death as well as explicit rape scenes which I wasn't entirely prepared for and which threw me off guard. While we are on the topic, I found the barbarism to be unnecessary and simply for shock value, as it did not add anything to the plot. The use of animal cruelty didn't reveal any new information, didn't accelerate the pacing and was only included for "gore factor" which feels tactless and lazy, in my opinion.

For a book which dubs itself a "feminist horror", I feel that it fell short on feminism. The whole book, Sarah was degrading and projecting her own insecurities and standards onto the other woman at the retreat. For instance, Gertrude Rose is too dramatic, Antionette is too regal, Kim only cares about male validation and Ingrid is some weird goth. Sarah is so judge-y, I honestly was rooting for her downfall the whole book.

For a lack of better ways to describe what I mean to say; it felt as if the author was just using Sarah as a way to project her own thoughts and beliefs into the narrative. For instance, goths are weird, gory, and angry. 19-year-old boys should be angsty, eating all day and listening to Nirvana. The chef was just an angry, controlling snob. I could go on!

Sarah is over all just a very negative and unlikable character. The entirety of the novel she is looking down her nose at all the other artists for being "weird" and "unorthodox" with their mediums; music, fashion, calligraphy, sculpting, glass cutting, but may I remind you that Sarah makes vases and plates... VASES AND PLATES. I could cut her some slack if she chose to be original with her medium but it's so anticlimactic and run-of-the-mill. I don't see where she gets off on being an absolute prick.

As for the writing itself, I felt that the author tried using 3rd person perspective but it fell flat. Instead of telling us her feelings and what she's thinking, it was used as a way to "question prompt" the audience. If the writing was executed well, I would be asking myself those questions and it wouldn't need to be prompted for me. In addition, I felt it to be redundant and often many chapters were extraneous and offered no real value to the rest of the text other than to show us how millennial the author is. For instance, referencing Taylor Swift and Nirvana and using the word "pic" unironically (repetitively). I know not everyone minds pop-culture references in their books but when it's used on every other page, it begins to feel like a brand deal and product placement. I think that if I had to read any more mentions of Apple and their products. TikTok, and Instagram than I did, I was going to DNF this ARC. AirPods could be generic earbuds and it wouldn't have affected the story at all (except for making it better). I am 22-years-old and I know that if I was planning to go on a 6 week retreat sin internet or cell reception, I would think to bring a few books with me. But naturally 26-year-old Sarah is still relying on her phone to use the reading app... because that makes sense.

I felt that there were so so so so so many plot holes:

1. The animal deaths added nothing to the plot and we never learn the reason they were maimed and killed.

2. A character died and Sarah thought they looked like they died of fear and they were found holding a certain recurring object in their hand, but we never learn the significance of the object nor how the character really died.

3. There are glass shards found in some clay but we never learn why or how it was put there- it's implied that a ghost would have done it but there was never any ghost! And the "ghost" only manipulated the glass shards...

4. THE ENTIRE CONCLUSION!

There are many many more but I don't want to be a spoiler.

Sarah has vision-like dreams about the retreat in its earlier years of operation but if this is a feminist novel, and we can all agree the 97% statistic is valid, then why is Sarah the only woman at the retreat with this connection? Shouldn't all the women be affected? And, with the 97% in mind, why does Sarah walk around the place thinking she is the only person who has gone through some life-altering traumatic event? Sarah's attitude is justified but all the other characters are just dramatic cry babies dealing with their first ever inconveniences?

I think this book would be better categorized as a thriller than a horror because WHERE WAS THE HORROR? Unless the scariest thing was meant to be Sarah's superiority complex, nothing was scary! I could predict the ending less than 30% through the book and I'm the kind of reader who believes in suspension of disbelief to enjoy a book... there was no suspending my disbelief with this novel. It was as easy as 1+1. I expected page-turning. heart pounding, mind racing horror and instead I got a glowing blue orb 10 pages from the end of the novel...

I feel that if this was to be a well-done feminist horror novel, the rape scenes would have to be less tacky or just not exist. We know rape is bad! We know marital rape was once normalized. We know the feeling of having our "no," go unappreciated. Was there meant to be a moral or theme or was it just an explicit example of what rape can look like? If the point of the scenes were meant to show how women feel about getting raped then I feel the same effect could have been reached without the play-by-play and, instead, the 3rd person narrator could have dome what a 3rd person POV is meant to so and just show us her thought process and how he feels without telling us what is being done to her. It felt like a 6th grade execution of a women's rights poster board project. "Raping women is bad!" "Consent is key!" "Men used to use women as incubators which is not fair!" Like yes, these are all very obvious points only left to be doubted by incels and ingrates. The only reason this book was given two stars by me, instead of one star, is because of Ingrid. She was the only likable character in all 328 pages!! Over-all I absolutely hated this book and would probably not recommend it to a friend. Maybe I'd recommend it to someone I hate- not for them to learn anything but just because I want them to suffer as much as I did.

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