Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

23 reviews

ddclarke's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful tense 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

I wasn't sure what to expect of this book when I started. I went in knowing nothing but the back blurb (which felt very trope-heavy and YA focused) and the Hugo nom, and the beginning of the book propped that up... 

... but then I couldn't stop reading, and by about halfway through it was clear there was something great happening. 

I loved the turning of the tropes, the themes, and all they wonderful grey. I also love that this seems to be a standalone book; while I'd love more from the universe, I hope the characters specifically are let to rest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Sexism, Murder, Suicide, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Genocide

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Rape

stardust_heidi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

This book is SO GOOD. It took me a while to read, only because I’m reading a gazillion other things at the same time. But I think reading this in smaller bites was the best way to do it. The themes in this book are so relevant to the current times and political shit show. 

Kyr isn’t necessarily the most likable character, a fact she is confronted with many times throughout the book, but I found her character arc super compelling. I think the roller coaster of an arc she experiences is very relatable to someone stepping outside of this regimented, propaganda-filled upbringing; to find that the universe is nothing like she’d been taught it is…it’s a hard pill to swallow. To see her xenophobia morph into acknowledgment of personhood; to see the injustices endured by her fellow women, to learn what it is to love and care about individuals outside her circle — honestly, I found it such a fantastic journey.

It’s not pretty. It’s painful, ugly, and dark along the way to destroying this patriarchal shitshow. But I think the author did a great job and inserting these slivers of optimism and drive in order to make the world better for others. 

I was engaged the whole book. It took me on some twists I wasn’t expecting, though I admit I’m usually easy to please lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death, War, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Racism

Minor: Rape and Adult/minor relationship

eyesofcrows's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A pretty good book. I liked a lot of the themes and the slow progression of “frick, I’m the bad guy” that isn’t all together rushed. There were some surprising things and twists that I wasn’t expecting and I actually enjoyed. I wished there was more detail of some of the cultures and surroundings and minute little things, but this is a YA book and I’ll allow it its brevity. 

I like how most characters aren’t individual bad or individually good but victims of the cruelty and surroundings they were born with or raised in. That’s vey cool.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Rape, and Sexual harassment

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

toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

Really loved this, it kept me on my toes the whole way through and the characters were so interesting and compelling. The audiobook was amazing too, the narrator did a great job with all of the voices. Wonderful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Grief, Death, Xenophobia, Cursing, Violence, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Suicide, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Genocide, Rape, and Pregnancy

Minor: Police brutality, Racism, Incest, Abortion, and Outing

minervacerridwen's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful medium-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

I love that this book didn't treat brainwashing as something a character can just as easily shake off. The things Kyr had learned all her life kept returning to haunt her, and I think that's the strength of this book. Action-packed with some shocking turns and interesting worldbuilding, Some Desperate Glory was an impressive rollercoaster.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Ableism, Sexism, Genocide, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Misogyny, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

rmgmorrow's review

adventurous challenging 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Xenophobia

Forced pregnancy

paukinra's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, War, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Outing, Gun violence, Genocide, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Sexual violence, Incest, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Xenophobia and Pregnancy

the_lesbrarian's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-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

5.0

Who gets to decide what the greater good is? And what happens when we disagree over what that means? 

Some Desperate Glory is a beautiful, unexpected story about what it means to be human in this universe. Following violence and love through interweaving threads of space and time, Some Desperate Glory asks the question “what’s worth fighting for” through the eyes of a 17 year old child soldier in a militant space colony set to avenge a murdered Earth. The world created in this novel is brutal, and the characters are, at times, shockingly cruel, though their capacity for gentleness and reflection often reveals itself at surprising moments. While reading this book, I laughed out loud in surprise, joy, and painful recognition. Tesh identifies her work as “social science fiction,” and I couldn’t agree more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Murder

Minor: Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Genocide, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, War, Death of parent, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Torture

whatiskatelynreading's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Genocide, Suicide, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Racism, Gaslighting, and Misogyny

Minor: Outing and Rape