Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim

28 reviews

sourbutchkid's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I decided to read this because I watched the movie a few weeks ago and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Watching it left me with a feeling I had never had before and the book left me with a very similar feeling. I think this story, as brutal and devastating and uncomfortable as it is, has stuck with me because of the realistic, flawed humanity of the characters, and the tenderness that carries through their interactions with each other in certain moments. The way this book is written is very beautiful and descriptive in general, and there were some lines that I absolutely loved. It really helped to ground you in the universe and in the characters. I really enjoyed that the chapters weren’t just from Brian and Neil’s POV’s and that we got to learn about the other people in their lives. I liked reading Eric’s chapters a lot because he wasn’t fleshed out as much in the movie.

I’d like to think the ending of the book was hopeful, and that the conversation Neil and Brian had is the beginning of them both healing from the abuse they had experienced. I’d like to think  Brian finally knowing what happened to him can open to the door to him recovering, and that Neil can start fully understanding that what happened to him was wrong.

I think this book toes the line at being exploitative at times (I can understand someone disliking it because of this), but I think overall the attention to making Neil and Brian’s reactions to abuse so incredibly realistic communicates to me that it’s not meant to be harmful (but that’s just my opinion). This story and these characters have left a mark on me, and I think I’ll have it for a very long time. Maybe for the rest of my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Homophobia

twinsinparadise's review

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

im literally crying so hard right now don't read this unless you're okay with mental ruin.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Homophobia

peytonliveslife's review

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Homophobia

Moderate: Sexual violence and Blood

nyucleus's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Neil...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Animal death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Homophobia

Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, and Ableism

missgrangerr's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Animal death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, and Homophobia

greenan26's review

dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, and Cursing

Moderate: Blood, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Bullying, Drug use, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

crippledarms's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

Devastated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Blood

impeachnixon's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Rape, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Drug abuse

Minor: Death, Car accident, and Death of parent

charlotteturvill's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

disturbing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Homophobia

lucyford's review

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

After watching the movie, I knew what to expect from the book… but that didn’t stop it from absolutely wrecking me all over again. I know I’m gonna be thinking about this book for weeks, like I was with the movie, because it’s just so good and so terribly sad and messed up and it’s had such an indescribable effect on me. I will say I’m glad I watched the movie first, because

the shock was more profound when you find out what really happened to Brian towards the end when the blue light shines on him, but in the book it’s kinda obvious from like half way in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Death of parent, Animal death, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism