Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Bal luđakinja by Victoria Mas

119 reviews

merle98's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

kylajaynebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

This was such a ME book I adored it. A gothic woman’s asylum in Paris 1800s - and that’s all I’m going to say. This would be an INCREDIBLE autumn read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

whynotreadwithalex's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

tinybluepixel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

mattiedancer's review against another edition

informative tense fast-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? No

3.0

Writing: 3.25⭐️/5 

The writing, while insightful in many sections, focuses mostly on telling rather than showing. For many passages, the passage directly stated Mas’ thesis, pushing forward a firm theme rather than allowing the reader to come to conclusions on their own. This did make the book extremely accessible and a much quicker read.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

The characters felt real enough, and yet also rather flat in comparison to the content matter. Where I hoped to find depth, I was met with surface-level characters who occasionally displayed features that dipped below the surface. That being said, the characters were relatively intriguing and, since the story was short, they kept interest for the course of the novel. 

Plot: 3⭐️/5 

The concept of the plot is incredibly interesting but the execution fell a bit flat. While still enjoyable and interesting, both the main plot and the side plots left me wanting more.

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Those looking for an introduction to historical fiction
• Those wanting to learn more about Salpêtrière

Content Warnings? 

• Misogyny, sexism, classism, death of a parent, death, illness, toxic relationships, toxic friendships, 

Post-Reading Rating:  2.75⭐️/5

Left me wanting more.

Final Rating: 3.0⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

perfectly_kyla's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

bec_97's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

cmartin's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

3.5

This is a tough review to write. On one hand, the story is told in such a way that you can empathise with the characters entirely. However, the writing style of the author I find is quite pretentious. Never have I read a story that’s said bourgeois so much in my life! This is the author’s debut novel so perhaps her writing style will evolve in time. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking novel set in 1880s France that deals with mental illness and spiritualism then this is for you! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt

stettisaurus's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

crabbytaco's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault