Reviews tagging 'Torture'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

97 reviews

hazelwood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Octavia Butler would have loved this, I think. The characters are so so realistic! The neurodivergent representation! The gender nonconformity! The aspec representation! The dissection of power and trauma and grief! Not to mention the beautiful use of language and intensely detailed worldbuilding! I am gathering up Aster and Theo and Giselle and Ainy and Pippi and Mabel and Flick and Lune and I am forever holding them close to my heart where they can be safe. I only wish for another book, or an afterword, or something so I can know if it all turned out okay!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Confinement, Excrement, Gore, Sexual assault, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

tatteredwings's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Physical abuse, Suicide, Vomit, Abortion, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Racism, Slavery, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This book was intense, but overall a very good read. I felt like the author did a great job building the world and the characters, so much so that I found myself wishing there was a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to others, though with a strong caution to review the trigger warnings and be prepared for graphic content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Body horror, Racism, Lesbophobia, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Self harm, Violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

thebakersbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Racism, Violence, Slavery, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Grief, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Transphobia, Blood, and Torture

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Body shaming, Abortion, and Forced institutionalization

kestrelfire's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Slavery, Transphobia, Rape, Torture, Murder, Violence, and Genocide

smith2ds's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Medical trauma, Rape, Abortion, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Blood, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Body horror

kwthor's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Child death, Child abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Transphobia, Suicide, Mental illness, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Classism, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Cursing, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Pedophilia and Death of parent

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death, Child death, Racism, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Self harm, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexism, Abortion, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Incest, Animal death, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

liter_aly's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Definitely check the content warnings before you dive into this one. It takes on so many heavy topics, and yet they were so naturally, realistically integrated and I never felt like any were thrown in for shock value, tokenism, a cheap plot line, or a sermon. Solomon skillfully reflected the full crushing horror of white supremacy and state violence without erasing the power, ingenuity, and resilience of Black folks. The world building: exquisite. Every plot point, scene, and character held so much depth and I loved the sweet and silly moments sprinkled in. I wish the book were longer or that there was a sequel, not because it wasn’t perfectly paced and resolved, but because I want to still be reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Mental illness, Violence, Child abuse, Murder, Suicide, and Racism

Moderate: Ableism, Racial slurs, Abortion, Incest, Confinement, Sexual violence, Dysphoria, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, and Child death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Gun violence

ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Abortion, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Rape, Racism, Slavery, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Violence, and Racial slurs