Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

14 reviews

harperphillips96's review

adventurous hopeful tense fast-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

4.5

I have this tendency to feel a sense of smug superiority when reading YA I don’t like… which sometimes means my guard is down when the author decides to wreck my judgmental little heart. 

(ETA: apparently this isn’t marketed as YA. Please go into it assuming this is YA and you will have a better time.) 

Surprised to see so many negative reviews because this really did wreck me a little. Maybe it’s because the main themes perfectly call out what I know to be my own biggest flaws, so even a simplistic story around those themes cuts me deeply. 

This is a book about radicalization, bigotry, what it means to be redeemed, what atonement and forgiveness could look like, whether those are worthy goals or if they’re beside the point. I had very strong opinions about these Bad People and was called out hard towards the end. I think I will be thinking about this book for a while. 

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I wish they had let Kyr and Yiso die together at the end. The last minute rescue took me from silently weeping to “Oh. Is that all?” and was tonally quite jarring. I think Kyr was meant to make that sacrifice, and it felt like the author didn’t have quiiiiiite the guts to make the ending as hard as it should have been.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Genocide, Bullying, and Hate crime

milliemudd's review

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, War, Child abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, and Outing

Minor: Abortion and Misogyny

lady_sharp's review

adventurous dark reflective fast-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

5.0

This was fun as hell. Mind the trigger warnings, but this is what science fiction should be, using the premise to dig at the flaws of society.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Suicide, Genocide, Xenophobia, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, War, Transphobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Ableism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Acephobia/Arophobia, War, Physical abuse, Bullying, Pedophilia, and Rape

Minor: Abandonment and Body horror

Contains an on-page suicide, women being forced into the roles of breeding stock, in-depth look at cults, attempted grooming of a minor and a successful past attempt that resulted in the birth of a child, genocide, a forced kiss, and an attempted rape

tigger89's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was fantastic. I can't even say too much about why I loved it, because most of the things that were so great are massive spoilers! I'll settle for saying that it takes several familiar sci-fi tropes — some of which you'll spot immediately, and others which take some time to reveal themselves — and remixes them into something that felt both fresh and timely.

The most impressive non-spoilery thing the book accomplished was managing to keep the reader just slightly more clued-in than the main character is. It's tricky to keep that balance with the reveals, between the reader knowing everything too early and the main character essentially narrating every logical step. I also enjoyed the setting, particularly the aliens and their sufficiently-advanced-technology, and the way the characters were developed as the plot went on.

I will warn you that you're not going to like the main character. She's a real piece of work when we first meet her. I promise, she gets better. Much better. Ordinarily such massive transformations over the course of one book ring hollow, but due to the spoilers I actually believed it this time. I also want to say that, if you're anything like me, you're probably going to be wondering around the 15-20% mark if you can trust the author with what this book seems to be taking on. The answer is yes. Again avoiding spoilers, but the things that are making you raise your eyebrows are intentional and serve the plot.

My biggest point of contention with the book was with the ending. It was foreshadowed pretty early on, so it wasn't deus ex machina. It's fair enough, I guess. It just felt a little too convenient for my tastes. Like, the bow shouldn't have tied up so neatly, if that makes sense? But I'm not really mad at it.

Does the tiger die?

There is, in one scene, a tiger. I'm not kidding. The tiger is presented from its introduction as an adversary, and is killed(in a somewhat graphic manner) in the course of a character defending themself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Genocide, Bullying, Animal death, Death, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and War

kindra_demi's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

5.0

A friend told me that I needed to read this book. That I would absolutely love it. So I immediately went and got the book (a trip that was over 2 hours round trip). AND IT WAS WORTH EVERY SECOND OF RUNNING TO BEAT WATERSTONES CLOSING. Yes, it took me months to finish, grad school does that... But outside of that, it's so good.

First, let me say, I started reading the physical book but I switched to the audiobook because again grad school. Before I get into the book, let me just say Sena Byer has become one of my favorite narrators and I cannot wait to listen to more work from her. She voices each character so well (to the point I thought there had to be new narrators for the different voices. Literally a vocal chameleon).

Now the book. I will preface with I am a sucker for books with characters whose world is shattered by getting an understanding of how messed up their perception is (such as with nationalism for this book). This book then brings in elements of trying to understand your world when dimension changes are possible. It was set for me to be a book I absolutely love.

It's so easy to get into the world. Yes, there is a lot of world-building (it's sci-fi), but it's not something I found extremely difficult. I would recommend it actually for someone who isn't super familiar with sci-fi but wants to start reading it. There are "excerpts from other books" (that are from the Some Desperate Glory universe) that help give context to the story itself.

The mc can be insufferable (and rightfully so. The mc is a teen who was raised in a military base as a "war breed child". She was literally made to serve her station.), but you watch them as they grow and change. There are characters that you'll either hate or hate to love. There are characters that I personally want to put in bubble wrap and protect their sweet souls. And all of these feelings are established early in the book. So when the multiple dimensions become a factor, it can really influence one's opinions on a character.

TL;DR: Yes read it. Read it if you love sci-fi or love stories that are about the breaking of one's nationalistic perspective. And read it in either a physical/ebook or an audiobook option. Emily Tesh (and if you chose the audiobook, Sena Byer), will not do you wrong.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Suicide, War, Blood, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Medical content, Bullying, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Torture

sarasreading's review

adventurous 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Before reading I knew the MC would be a terrible person, and I think that helped with my expectations. I didn't know much else about it though, and it drew me right in. There are a LOT of conversation points in this book, and while the book was already on the longer side, I almost wish it were even longer? To delve into those a little more deeply. 

I also would have liked even more world building, especially regarding the Wisdom, because I found it fascinating. I also would have liked some character relationships to have more time. AND more time for the ending as it felt a bit rushed and just cut off at the end. Maybe an epilogue? 

I guess I'm saying I would have liked this to be a couple of books lol! 

But I enjoyed it. It always left me guessing and kept me on my toes, and I enjoyed how the unlikable main character learned and grew out of the extremist world view she was brought up with. 

CW: There are so many, and they're listed in the beginning of the book. Heed them if you need them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Suicide, Murder, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Rape, Grief, and Ableism

Minor: Abortion

pineapple_queen's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Physical abuse, Bullying, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Child abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, and Torture

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced

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

4.5

This is a tough read, but so worth it. It is both incredibly dark and incredibly hopeful. Kyr's arc is so well done and the side characters are so interesting. It makes so many interesting points. I think it straddles the line of YA and adult in an odd way sometimes, most evidently in the very ending which I have mixed feelings on. Overall I really did love it and highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, War, Suicide, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Torture, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Kidnapping

Minor: Ableism, Outing, Bullying, Abortion, Rape, and Pregnancy

bookishwondergoth's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful reflective 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

4.75

Not quite 5 stars but sooooooo close. This book was an absolute ride and I adored every moment. There was a bit of a lull in the middle and I got whiplash a few times with all the changes, but ultimately this was a fantastic examination of cult mentality, facism, radicalisation and deconstruction of dangerously right-wing views. Absolutely brilliant. Will be reading more of Emily Tesh's books for sure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Homophobia, War, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Gun violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Blood

blacksphinx's review against another edition

adventurous 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Violence, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Homophobia, Transphobia, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Confinement, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

Minor: Abortion and Bullying