Reviews tagging 'Torture'

La biblioteca del Monte Char by Scott Hawkins

137 reviews

carbs666's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Ok first of all: huge TW for literally every thing you could possibly imagine and a bunch of stuff you couldn't. Now I'm going to try to describe what I liked and disliked without spoilers, which is difficult so bear with me.

I liked how conversationally the book is written, how wacky the characters are (real people are wacky so this made them really whole to me), and how even when the narrative is taken over by one character's POV it maintains a good omniscient remove. I also liked how intricate the book was and how the author released just enough information about the central mystery to keep you paying attention. There are no throw-away scenes in this book; absolutely everything matters.

The core thing I didn't like about the book is that I thought the final act was a bit drawn out, and while I did think Carolyn experienced some growth of character I felt the implication that things work out for her was somewhat.....unearned? Absolute power corrupts absolutely and all that. 

Anyways, if you like weird-ass books and aren't troubled by some of the most horrifying, traumatic shit that can happen to a person, you're gonna love this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Violence, War, Addiction, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicide

a_littledragon's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad 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

Whoo boy— are you in for quite a ride when you pick up this book. There’s action. There’s angst. There’s humor. There’s weird sci fi concepts. There’s cool world building. There’s a wild plot twist. This book has it all and so much more in this short amount of pages. But man, was it good! I love Carolyn. Seeing her personality and character in general progress throughout the story and plot. Reading her plan form and have it take place. (I know some people have a qualm about her being gone/away from us for too long — but you connect with the other characters and povs I feel).
I didn’t expect to think this highly of this book when I picked it up for a “light read” in between fantasy or sci-fi books. But it was an awesome ride (excluding the animal cruelty and rape parts- which I want to note for those who pick it up or want to. two moments where these are described/talked about). Probably even more if you went in blind. Pick it up!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Rape, and Animal death

rely's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Brilliant, thought provoking

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, War, Grief, Gun violence, Torture, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Cancer, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape

minapea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

Lost for most of it, but also intrigued for the whole thing- can’t say I ever want to read this book again and there were several times I could have really used a trigger warning, but if you like surrealism this might be the book for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Suicide, Rape, Torture, and Sexual assault

caoimhemia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Torture, Violence, Suicide, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

anexcessofebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

3.0

What a shit ending.  The whole tone of the book changed at the end and the author was trying to be too funny in a way that didn't fit with the rest of the tone of the book.

I liked it up until the end and would have rated it 4+.  It was weird AF throughout, which was fine/appealing, but there are just too many things that are irreconcilable.  Biggest gripe is

Carolyn being essentially a God sometimes and completely oblivious/helpless at others.  Her solution to the whole apocalypse she brought on was to turn Steve into the sun and have it rain bread?  Dafuq?  Just undo some stuff which is apparently an option as alluded to by Father who I now just picture in a bathrobe and fluffy slippers drinking coffee as he doles out fatherly advice in a calm tone; not at all what you're led to believe throughout the whole book

It's clearly setup for a sequel, but I don't think I'll pick it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Torture

random19379's review against another edition

funny 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Child death, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Gore, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Murder, Body horror, Medical content, Suicide, and War

Moderate: Rape and Incest

kermittuesday's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Deeply weird, but very good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Torture, Rape, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death of parent, Blood, Suicide, War, Gun violence, Death, and Child death

Minor: Car accident

cassie7e's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I picked this only knowing it was dark and weird. It has similar dark vibes as Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys series, which I loved! Creepy old abilities and beings in the modern day, but even darker and more morally twisted, and on a larger scale. It's meticulously elaborately plotted, especially leading up to the climax ~2/3 the way through, whereupon we get more character growth and trauma reckoning in the aftermath.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Murder, Torture, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Rape, and Gun violence

Minor: Car accident, Homophobia, and Death of parent

sersi's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Suicide, Murder, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Rape