Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass

18 reviews

gellyreads's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Sawyer as a character is conflicting, but I liked the way this book set up the characters, powers, and world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Stalking, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, and Bullying

lennybiird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, Child abuse, Mass/school shootings, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

Minor: Religious bigotry

fullbelliedsnake's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

the horror elements were really well done! i felt like the character relationships could’ve been better executed but it was still a solid read B) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Sexual assault, Rape, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Classism

Minor: Religious bigotry and Vomit

saurahsaurus's review

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book, but didn’t expect it to be so violent. I loved its lore and strangeness, the themes of identity and being othered. And I just want to protect main character 🥹💜

I understand the role that the violence played in the book, and it fit. Just wasn’t prepared for it going in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Child death, Racism, Death, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Outing, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Car accident, Cursing, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Transphobia

Minor: Animal death, Abandonment, Infidelity, and Police brutality

schausjk's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Pedophilia, Blood, Gore, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Hate crime, Grief, and Child death

Minor: Drug use and Body horror

ecn's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Child death, Bullying, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Outing, Hate crime, Incest, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

cr_valentine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Car accident and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Blood, Stalking, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Grief, and Body horror

rtaire's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

Wow, this book is phenomenal. I feel like I truly understand the appeal of a teenage protagonist. Jake's youth and his grappling with his identity both black and gay make sense. Maybe these types of identity issues are more relatable to me as a queer person, than the love triangles and typical, entitled rebelling of your average YA protagonists. Jack lacks adult maturity, but he's not annoyingly immature. I really loved him so much and truly appreciated his growth and struggles.

Ghosts are a great way for me to be sucked into deeper conversations and metaphors. I might not have picked up a memoir about the same identity struggles as were explored in this book, but I found myself deeply captivated by the themes of this book.

Sawyer was a fantastically complex villain. The book shows his pain and his past wounds in a sympathetic light, but his actions are never condoned. He is the villain. Sawyer being a school shooter feels very topical and relevant. This is a horror story that plays upon the fears of a modern teen. Really well done. I feel it gives me a lot of insight into the psyche of the younger generations since I was just barely too early for school shooter drills to be a living nightmare. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mass/school shootings, Death, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Gun violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Incest, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Blood, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Classism

literary_lyette's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Rape, Suicide, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Slavery, Homophobia, and Vomit

echo24's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Homophobia, Gun violence, Racism, and Suicide attempt