Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

20 reviews

amrita_m's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Addiction, Rape, Blood, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Domestic abuse

booksofautumn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.0

A lot like Adéle by Leila Slimani. I loved it. Definitely will be keeping an eye out for any other books the author publishes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

likeagilmoregirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I fell in love with this book on page one.
This is one of those rare pieces of art that makes you feel as though you are looking into a mirror.
I think the writing in this book was incredible and the relationship dynamic was a fair portrayal of what it’s like to live in this kind of turmoil. Specifically, the first half of this book is hauntingly beautiful. 
Unfortunately, the second half of this book fell a little flat for me. I found the dramatic shift in the narrator’s behavior made sense, but came on all at once with little perspective on how she was changing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Body shaming, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Eating disorder

marissab's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Misogyny, Drug use, Rape, Mental illness, Blood, and Addiction

Minor: Vomit and Medical content

carolrol_lina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

bem ok! O role molieres depressivas começou a me cansar em certo ponto,, mas eh bom! capitulos curtos!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

edgaranjapoe's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Physical abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Stalking, Alcohol, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Violence

eralbesu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

If this were autobiographical I’d say it’s an extremely brave piece of work, because ~whew~ Acts of Desperation was quite precisely named. 

This reads as a confessional from our main character about her obsessions with love and sex and her volatile relationship with her body and her compulsion to punish it. 

There were many parts that were difficult for me to read and plenty of parts where I had to step away because of my embarrassment with the our main character’s sheer honesty about her actions and her intentions. 

Not sure I could recommend it, as the trigger warnings are plentiful, but I’m happy I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Addiction, Infidelity, Rape, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Body horror, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gore, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abandonment and Fatphobia

quills4days's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

msameliee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Addiction, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking, Eating disorder, Blood, Body shaming, Drug use, and Violence

Minor: Medical content and Cancer

icarusandthesun's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

i think i might be in love.
when i read the synopsis i feared this was gonna be a very 'straight' book - romanticising toxic relationships, shallow and all that. but while this is undeniably still very straight, it's also self-aware, beautiful, painfully relatable at times, unhinged and so lovable.
it's got messy takes on obsession and love and features thoughts that sprang from a disturbed mind. 
the book's full of terribly relatable things, vices and forbidden thoughts i was surprised to find were not confined to my own damned existence. it was all so specific and comforting and horrible.
the short chapters made this book quick, easy and lovely to read.
whimsical, yet comforting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Body shaming, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Addiction, and Physical abuse

Minor: Blood, Gore, and Drug use