Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

129 reviews

phantomgecko's review against another edition

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

3.0

An interesting character study. I didn't like any of the characters. But their actions and thoughts were interesting to see.

Defos living lives that I cannot relate with.

idk, obvs the point of the book is the people and not what is happening to them, and their personalities are fleshed out and believable. I'd rather have read about what happened than these particular unlikeable character tho.
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bhoomika26's review against another edition

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

2.75

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scharocket's review against another edition

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tense medium-paced

1.0

The amount of times genitalia or sexualization of literally anything is mentioned is ridiculous....Just gross. It reads like a horny teenager who thinks he’s "saying something" wrote this. And what that something is? I'm not sure. Whatever theme it was trying to hit, it just didn't give me enough ENOUGH to show me any actual conviction. For one moment, I think, there was commentary on climate change? Another time, it was commentary on racism (maybe?) and how people treat each other in times of crisis (possibly?)

All leading up to an ending that was no ending at all, just a lazy stoppage of 240 pages of stream-of-consciousness writing.

I had the urge to DNF at about page 16, after one particularly grotesque description of a character's genitals, but CERTAINLY not the last one.

I should listen to my DNF instincts more.
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irinalast's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Dislike what is likely how most people would think, feel, and act when the worst happens. No one is a hero, not much hope in the end. 
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ghostycell's review against another edition

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DNF at 57%.

So overwritten, sex scenes so bad it could turn rabbits clerical, overly sexual descriptions of children (I can't believe this keeps happening in books??), descriptions of an entire family's genitals, icky and cynical descriptions of almost everything, narrator bounces around and hard to decipher who's talking and where, endless conversations (who talks like that?), clunky writing.

Interesting premise but no execution. This is about 40% 'just not for me' and 60% genuinely bad writing.
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ariparip's review against another edition

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

3.25

I think it would've been better if it had an ending!
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robynbookworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

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passionatereader78's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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dblue236's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

What... why... but... 

Did I just read a 300-page first chapter? Was that ACTUALLY the entire book? Did I really spend all that time waiting to find out what was happening only to learn... nothing at all? 

Okay, I'm mad. I loved the concept of this book and the tension of it was glorious. And then just... nothing. No resolution. No explanation. No ending. 

*flips table* 

Three stars for no reason other than how much I really wanted to love this. 
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