Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

31 reviews

ursa_arlo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Positives. I couldn't put down this book. How could I when this retelling was so fresh, so compellingly written? I love when retellings bring something new to the table and this novel for that both in style (by alternating between POV's until they had each reached their conclusion or by alternating the form in which the story was told, such as through the letters of Penelope) and perspective. The prose had a brutal beauty to it and did not sugarcoat the effects of war. 

This book, in a sense, is not what you might expect from a feministic retelling; these women are critical and jealous of each other, are absorbed with centering the loss of men in their lives. They have very little agency simply because they are an opressed group in a society where they are very rarely seen as more than property. But, with the little agency that they have, they do everything they can to survive- or die when that is the more tolerable option. They are not more dishonourable -not more honourable either- than the men  who the stories usually focus on. They are resilient, they will survive, and so will their stories. 

Negatives. This book is very bleak, war always is, which may or may not be a negative aspect depending on who you are asking. There are very few moments of hope to be found, especially near the end, which can make it a tough read. 

Quote. When a war was ended, men lost their lives. But the women lost everything else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Ableism, Child death, Slavery, War, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity

raviolioli's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Rape, and Genocide

brianvirgil's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Grief, Child death, Genocide, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Rape

tieflingmom's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual harassment, Grief, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Colonisation, Rape, Toxic relationship, War, Genocide, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

awebofstories's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, Murder, Blood, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Violence, Death, Kidnapping, Torture, Genocide, War, Rape, Slavery, Grief, and Suicide

margaret_k30's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexism, Misogyny, Death, Suicide, Slavery, Violence, War, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Vomit, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail

lizziea229's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Slavery, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and War

chrisarnold94's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Torture, Death, Sexual violence, Rape, War, Blood, Suicide, Slavery, Pregnancy, Gore, Murder, Child death, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Genocide

dniespal's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Violence, Grief, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Deportation, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Classism, Genocide, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, War, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective 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

4.0

Follows the lives of various women in or related to troy
Penelopes buts were the best
Odysseus is not like other men😏

‘Who could love a coward… someone for whom the alternative is loving a corpse.’

‘That is what it means to refuse a god. It is to be driven mad.’

‘Waiting is the cruelest thing i have ever endured.’

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Slavery, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, and War