Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede

9 reviews

bees_knees735's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

If you wanted to love American Psycho but needed an actual plot look no further. Maeve is messed up, gross, obsessive, and just a bit endearing and the end had me fucked up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Torture

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, and Domestic abuse

shanebergman's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Sexual violence

mushmoll's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Torture, Gore, Murder, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, Blood, and Sexual assault

gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

What a deeply disturbing and fantastic book.

Have was such an unhinged character but I somehow rooted for her and was utterly devastated by the ending.

There was a humorous yet strange scene that was definitely an ode to Patrick Batemen watching himself having sex.

This was such a captivating story. It was like a train wreck - I just couldn't look away. Every time I put the book down, it was all I could think about.

It had me physically cringing in disgust and shouting out in disturbance and I loved every moment of it.

This is going to stick with me for a very long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Excrement, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Torture

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

1.0

Maeve is a Disney princess that also happens to be a psychopath on the edge. She is full of trivia about Halloween, Halloween music, sex, movies, and local LA history. She is also a serial killer trying to hide in society. But once her grandmother’s health starts to decline and a new relationship escalates she begins to lose control.

I did not like this book. Maeve was not a character I liked, could relate to, or was even interested in, nor were any of the other characters. All of them come as pretentious in the worst way with no redeeming qualities, I couldn’t relate or care about any of them. 

This book was very slow in my opinion with the real killing not occurring until halfway through the novel, and since I don’t enjoy gore or torture porn the entire novel was boring and unenjoyable for me. I had heard this novel was amazing and a must read and I could see that if you’re a fan of gore or extreme horror, but if you’re not I’d pass. 

Maeve is essentially a female Patrick Bateman, and the character even alludes to this in the novel in a not so subtle way that just, again came off as pretentious to me. I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone looking for a great horror read, UNLESS American Psycho was appealing to them (I also hated that book….). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Murder, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

howlinglibraries's review against another edition

medium-paced

1.5

 I am baffled by some of the praise going around for this book. "Extreme horror!" Okay, maybe for like, one chapter and half of another one? "Feminist horror icon!" You mean the woman who rapes nearly every victim she takes, finding especially creative ways to do so with the women?

I don't need to agree with a character's actions to like them, but aside from the previously mentioned issues, Maeve is so oblivious that it's impossible for me to get behind her as a narrator. There's a twist in this book that is painfully obvious from a million miles away, yet Maeve is taken entirely off-guard by it in the worst way. Oblivious.

Most of all, Maeve Fly is simply boring for the bulk of its duration. There's very little horror for most of the book, instead primarily focusing on Maeve's internal critique of everyone around her and a whole lotta sex.

The only major hype piece I've heard for this book that actually makes sense to me is comparing this to Palahniuk's writing style, which I'll agree with — Leede's style reminded me a lot of Chuck Palahniuk's style and I can definitely see the inspiration there (though it would be hard to miss it, given how much name-dropping happens throughout Maeve Fly, including many references to Chuck himself).

This was perhaps my single most disappointing read of 2023 so far. I would try this author's work again in the future, but don't recommend this one.

Buddy read with Reg! ♥ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Rape, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Gore, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Torture

andrea7oves's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book was sooo fun to read. I’m not really a gore fan so I kinda felt squeamish during some parts of the novel, but overall Maeve was interesting to observe and delve into. Her thoughts are insane and unhinged and disturbing and made me uncomfortable but I also chose not to stop reading.

Ending was a little sad to me cause i’m a sucker for love stories

but overall I did enjoy 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Body horror, Torture, and Gore

Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Blood, Torture, Misogyny, Alcohol, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Animal death, Sexism, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, and Rape

ekmook's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow! This book was a wild ride and I absolutely loved it! Creative, twisty, laugh out loud funny, gory!   I enjoyed the feminist twist on a classic serial killer concept.  I also about lost my mind when we got a “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah” reference! This book will NOT be for everyone and content warnings should be taken into consideration.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Body horror, Death, Grief, Sexism, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Torture, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Abortion, and Chronic illness