Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Animals at Lockwood Manor by Jane Healey

7 reviews

ellianderjoy's review

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Car accident, and Infidelity

There are major themes of child abuse via confinement and gaslighting with scenes described in detail. Lucy's mother dies in a car accident off-page but it is described and her grief is shown in detail. Lord Lockwood is misogynistic and sexist on-page, and is described to have sexually, physically and emotionally abused multiple minor girls. There are secondhand accounts of domestic abuse and infidelity. The book is set during WWII and there is significant discussion of war and particularly the threat of air-raids and bombings. The main characters experience gaslighting on-page which leads to detailed descriptions of anxiety and panic attacks.

urs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Lesbophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, War, and Vomit

sarah984's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

3.0

This was an interesting gothic style novel about a woman who accompanies part of a museum collection to be protected in a manor house during the second world war. This novel is extremely slow and very little actually happens, but the atmosphere was great and the twist regarding the actual nature of what was going on in the house surprised me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and War

Minor: Incest, Infidelity, and Sexual violence

longlost's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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 book was sold to me as "a ghostly, gothic love story" and you know what. That checks out. Props to the author because at no point in this Decently Long book do I feel like we're not right there in 1939 despite the book being published in 2020. It's super cool to see how some authors can immerse a reader into the past, and considering the 30s were almost 100 years ago at this point it's just incredibly cool to read a book where it feels like you're there in that time. 

The narration by both POV characters felt very genuine as women in the late 30s, and the gothic mystery elements were very well done. You do feel the tension as Hetty struggles to understand what is going on with the animals she's been charged to care for, and the strange responses from some of the people at Lockwood. Lucy is a beacon of light in this book; where every other character is dismissive and at times outright cruel, Lucy meets Hetty's concerns with kindness and empathy. 

Their romance is also lovely to read; Healey develops their connection in an incredibly heartfelt way, and you find yourself rooting for Hetty and Lucy to reach their happy ending at the book's conclusion. 

It's important to note that the book has no shortage of potentially triggering content; there are heavy themes of mental health issues that can be uncomfortable to read about, along with the end stretch of the book revealing a pedophilic relationship in a way that is very jarring and graphic. This is definitely a book to approach cautiously if you're triggered by any of the things listed in the content warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Grief, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Rape, Infidelity, and War

Minor: Vomit

stormwise's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and War

hilarylouise's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Vomit

emmaward55's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Vomit and Miscarriage

Regarding all sexual violence:

neither of the two narrators are in any way harmed. The detailed descriptions are dialogue given by a third character.

Regarding the non-sexual child abuse:

Lucy (and Hetty to some degree) spends a fair bit of time detailing the neglect and mistreatment from parents. None of it is sexual or physical. Lucy is gaslit and locked in dark rooms. Hetty receives verbal abuse.

In general there's period-typical sexism, but Hetty is also gaslit throughout the book. Although the book features a homosexual relationship, the two women do not face any violence or repercussions for their love.