Reviews tagging 'Rape'

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

13 reviews

murphy87's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

2.75

So two boomers have an 'uncoventional' marriage. The husband has severe attachment/mom/dad issues. The wife is an almond mom and has internal misogyny. The wife doesn't want to be portrayed as the wronged wife since she and her husband both engage in affairs but extramarital affairs are the least of this husband's sins. Vladimir who is also wildly problematic and in a way is very similar to her husband. It's very readable but also induced much eye rolling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide attempt

readwithsophsx's review

reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Rape, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide attempt

danielleeejames's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, and Drug abuse

amanda02143's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Incredible writing.  As an academic, so much of the setting and drama felt eerily accurate. Small town life, department and college politics, energetic new faculty vs the old guard, the changing norms and culture and the accompanying complications. The narrator, too, is very relatable in all her neuroses and flaws. Accomplished, beloved by students, and yet insecure about aging and her appearance while simultaneously hating herself for caring about superficial standards. All of which is to say this book had me fully engrossed....up to a point. SPOILER
 

The sharp plot turn beginning with the lunch date with Vladimir and her "plan" defied credibility.  The lack of planning, for someone whose core identity is a researcher, is completely out of character.  I was cringing, though willing to see where things were headed, until the zip ties and padlock. 

From that point, the last third of the book seemed almost like an entirely different book.  The plot is rushed to a resolution and all of the complexity that was pain-stakingly developed is thrown out with the fire. 

Sid and her partner, Vlad and his wife all work things out and everyone just carries on?? Most implausible of all, even dinosaur professors save to the cloud these days.  Too neat and tidy.

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, and Fatphobia

Will definitely look forward to future work from this author!

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Sexual content

Minor: Cursing, Kidnapping, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, Blood, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Suicide, Child death, Rape, and Sexual assault

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

agiali's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

♡ 159/ 108

This was a really stunning debut novel and this is genuinely one of the most well-written books I've ever read. The prose and vocabulary are fitting considering our narrator is an English professor.

Although I found the book to be truly fantastic and entertaining, it was just a solid three-star read! Nothing wrong with that, it was good but is a book that once I close, I probably won't think about unless provoked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Adult/minor relationship

_travelingpages's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Body shaming, Infidelity, Addiction, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

dilani's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

2.5

First character study for me. Our unnamed character claims to have an obsession with fellow tenure track professor Vladimir. This claimed obsession wasn’t all that clear. I’d rather say she loved the fantasy of him but reality couldn’t meet her expectations. Interesting book but the ending left me unsatisfied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Cursing, and Suicide

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, and Death of parent

mariexcelsior's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, and Sexual harassment