Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Vox by Christina Dalcher

19 reviews

sanikaaa___'s review

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Medical content, and Sexism

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Abortion and Infidelity

tlholmes's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Grief, Infidelity, Body horror, Confinement, Medical trauma, Torture, Death, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

paigereitz's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a harrowing read in a lot of ways, similar to the Handmaid's Tale. The plot structure felt rushed at times, not as strong a construction, but the story was intense and kept me hooked in. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Violence, and Torture

jodielk93's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Lesbophobia

shanno_h0's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Child abuse, Sexism, Infidelity, and Torture

charlotte_louisee_'s review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Torture

Moderate: Animal death and Homophobia

amberrenfrey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Sexual content, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Transphobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Cursing, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Slavery, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Death, Abortion, Biphobia, and Domestic abuse

jmboff's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

Listened on audio. Between 3 and 3.5. This one was just okay. The premise is very intriguing, dystopian, and scientifically based. But the plot and character development just kind of fell flat. 

***SPOILERS AHEAD****

<Spoiler>

Jean wasn't really that impressive of a main character. I hated her affair with Lorenzo and how accepting Patrick was of it. Like no fight or anything left in him, but he dies for her and it's like she didn't even care too much. 

And Dell and Sharon, I wish their stories were more involved. 

There was just too much of the same type of scenes. I enjoyed a good portion of it, but wish it expanded more on other plot lines and less on the plot line of them working in the lab incessantly. 

I also feel like it was too unrealistic and forcing it to be realistic. Obviously it's fiction and dystopian. But I had a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that you can't even get half the population to agree to wear a mask, but we're supposed to believe that the entire country would be okay with putting electric shock devices on all women to punish them for speaking? I just couldn't even imagine this in a fictitious sense. You're telling me not one single person or group would fight back and uproot that system or attempt to assassinate the president and they just go along with it? Nah. 
</Spoiler>
Overall it was alright. Thankfully it was narrated by Julia Whelan so that saved it🤣

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Torture, Blood, Death, Medical content, Violence, and Religious bigotry

jen1804's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.5

I was disappointed with this book. The author sets up such an interesting concept for a story which could be action packed and tense but instead follows the most boring narrative ever. The characters themselves are not likeable and for a book about female oppression it is frustrating to see that the one who saves the day is not our female main character but instead the two men in her life. Fundamentally Jean actually does nothing of value during this story and may as well have not been part of it.
Add to this the odd writing style flicking between past and present with no help from the formatting, plus the medical jargon, and you find the book being inherently confusing for no good reason.
Satisfactory ending? No.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, Murder, Death, and Sexism

Moderate: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Torture

Minor: Genocide

gemma7's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

4 Stars is probably a bit of a stretch but it is what it is.

I was really enjoying the book but the ending was not IT!

Why is everything told and not shown?

Stevens rescue, Del's staged arrest, Poe working undercover, more details on the resistance

These things were important to the story yet we never know how they happen.
Some things were too convenient to be true 

all the right people just happened to be part of the resistance, Lin and Jackie kept trapped in the same building Jean was working in

 

Also, Olivia was at Patrick's funeral? Surely she couldn't have survived what happened to her?? Unless it was her one handed ghost.

 

Still quite impressive for a debut novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Suicide, Medical content, Death, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pregnancy and Homophobia

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Self harm, and Sexual content