Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Come Closer by Sara Gran

41 reviews

not_another_ana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

3.25/5

 We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental. But most of us don't, and I didn't either. 

Come Closer follows Samantha, an architect, whose life slowly unravels as a dark presence starts taking over her. This book is pretty straight forward, lineal and exactly what it promises. The main character's slow descent into madness is believably described and interesting to follow. Th prose is very tight too, it doesn't digress or ramble. I feel like this would have been a disaster if it had been any longer.

Personally I didn't find this scary or even spooky. I do read a lot of horror on the regular so I think that's probably why this didn't hit me the way it seems to have affected others. I found the plot and the escalation predictable. I will say that I am thankful that the author didn't play around at the end with a twisty reveal or anything like that. Fast read, I recommend it to anyone who wants to read something quick but well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Sexual content

hunkydory's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

imrath's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

3.5

Short and gripping possession story with a great narrator on the audiobook. I really enjoyed this.

Unabashedly supernatural with no anticlimatic and/or offensive "maybe the real demon is mental illness" angle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Forced institutionalization

chloseencounter's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

I quite enjoyed this short little read. It was a take on demonic possession I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before, a very realistic downfall of questioning your own sanity and the feelings of losing control. I liked the interactions with the main character and the demon, the false sense of security the demon created for her while she was vulnerable truly manipulating her to the let the demon in. 

I really enjoyed the parts where I wasn’t even sure if they actually happened, like the doctors visits that only made the possession take more of a hold and when our main character (can you tell I can’t remember her name, I think it was Amanda) would run into other people who seemed to have demonic energy within them. I also thought the freakiest part was the sad excuse for an exorcism and the description of the demon just kind of skittering around in the darkness of her mind’s safe space.

Overall this was a solid, short, spooky read perfect for my Halloween/Fall TBR. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Vomit, and Medical trauma

Minor: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Death of parent

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Blood, Confinement, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Addiction, Child abuse, Alcohol, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Gore, and Sexual content

kcraig73's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

5.0

Absolutely thrilling. This book genuinely scared me. The fast paced spiral into complete insanity, along with the insidious and beautiful nature of Amanda’s possession is completely captivating. This book grabbed me by the throat from the first page and it still hasn’t let go. I absolutely loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Kidnapping

sylvestra's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Murder

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Forced institutionalization

inkdrinkers's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

I waffled back and forth about this book. I think it's done well for a thriller/horror in first person POV, but at the same time I found myself unhappy at the ending. It just fades to an end that seems so mundane for the story.

I will say the content in this book is incredibly heavy and homophobic slurs are used multiple times (often through the lens of the demon being horrific). It was an interesting but uncomfortable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, and Homophobia

Minor: Child abuse and Animal cruelty

This novella has a lot. Murder happens on page with lots of blood and gore. A child is almost drowned. Animals are hurt. Homophobic slurs are used multiple times.

angryoppossum's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

goddamn i wanted her and ed to get back together, absolutely heartbroken omg

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Moderate: Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Alcohol

literaryliaisons's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship