Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

Orpheus Girl by Brynne Rebele-Henry

10 reviews

bluestar_apologist's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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: Suicide attempt, Confinement, Transphobia, Homophobia, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Self harm

apollo0325's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

With every action they make to take away your rights, they adopt  an air of phony shame, as if they actually cared about the consequences of their beliefs.

This book was absolutely heart-wrenching, and the fact it was/is the reality of queer kids is even worse. Despite the best efforts, people still think queers are an illness, something that can be ‘cured’ when this is who we are. So many drape their homophobia with religion too.

This book is H E A V Y and even so, it’s an understatement. It’s important but difficult and necessary to have queer books centered on subject matter like this. Every queer story doesn’t end in a happily ever after.

Framing it within Greek mythology adds another layer of interest and way to connect to Raya’s journey. It also felt like a coping mechanism for Raya which is a common trend among queers (shout out to my PJO queers, ayyy).

My only critique of this book is the lack of understanding of time passing. It feels like SO MUCH has happened but then Raya mentions being dropped off four days ago? It felt a bit unclear. Then again, this may have been an intentional choice by the author to show even Raya has no concept of time and self in the latter half of the book.

Lastly, I implore anyone wanting to read this book to PLEASE LOOK AT TRIGGER WARNINGS. This book does not fuck around. For real.

“You know, the thing about family is that you can choose it. And I choose you.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Biphobia, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Torture, Violence, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Outing, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Note for sexual harassment tag: the kids forced to go to the conversion camp are also forced to watch content of boys kissing boys or girls kissing girls or near sexual experiences between the same sexes. Nothing is explicitly detailed but it is mentioned. I didn’t know which tag to choose so I chose that one.

rubadubindabathtub's review

challenging dark hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Outing, Medical content, Violence, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Drug use, Cursing, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Transphobia, Homophobia, Vomit, Self harm, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Deadnaming, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Dysphoria

irasobrietate's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Outing, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Torture

Moderate: Car accident, Bullying, Eating disorder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Transphobia

innastholiel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Car accident, Deadnaming, Abandonment, and Blood

Minor: Confinement, Outing, Self harm, Vomit, and Sexual content

foxblood's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Vomit, Confinement, Sexual content, and Abandonment

starship_olympus's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

1.0

I just grabbed this from the LGBTQ+ section at my library because if there's anything to do with Orpheus and Eurydice in any form of media I'm there for it. 

But the writing style wasn't really for me, and I wasn't invested in the story. I almost DNF but I had a few hours free so I kinda just skimmed the book stopping to read every few pages. 
I can definitely see why this book could be loved by some, if it had been my cup of tea I would've been all over the prose, the characters, their differences and their love. I did want a 'happy' ending (as happy as an ending of this book could be)

and I am glad we got it, with the girls and some kids escaping the camp, and the camp (most likely?) being brought down

but the journey there wasn't for me. 

I know Orpheus is a tragedy, and there was tragedy here. It's not a book for the faint of heart, or an easy read. Even just skimming it I had an emotional reaction to what was going on. I think it could be a wonderful and visceral and beautiful novella. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Outing, Self harm, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Biphobia, Bullying, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Alcohol, and Bullying

Minor: Car accident, Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

rjstellar's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Orpheus Girl is the story of Raya, a freshly sixteen year old girl, being sent to a conversion camp when she's caught with her childhood best friend, Sarah. They're sent to the same camp, and Raya imagines them in an old Greek myth--the lovers Orpheus and Eurydice--and the story follows the horrible things they go through as they try to walk out of Hell. 

I'm a young lesbian, so this was a really REALLY difficult read for me. I cried in a way I have not in several months, and I have never taken this long to recover from any book. not to mention I'm also in love with the musical Hadestown, and regularly do exactly what Raya did and picture myself as Orpheus, walking out of tough situations. So obviously this was extremely personal.
it was really good, which is why I gave it five stars, but I severely underestimated the toll this book would take. I liked Raya's voice and the way in which it was written, and appreciated that it was relatively fast paced and didn't linger anywhere too long. especially in certain parts. I loved the intercut backstory and the way we get exposition randomly, rather than entire sections being flashback or explanation.
 though, I'm not about to write a review without giving my warnings. so, two disclaimers: one, like I said, the premise was very personal to me, so what was extremely difficult to read for me may be a lot easier to handle for someone else. it's not easy by any means, but it may not be as hard for you as it was me. HOWEVER, disclaimer two: please, please, PLEASE do not underestimate this book and take the trigger warnings into serious consideration. they are there for a reason. this isn't a dystopian story that someone made up--things like this actually happened, and that makes it all the more difficult. 
still, I do not regret reading this. this makes me endlessly grateful for my parents and how lucky I've otherwise been thus far. and I've noticed I feel much more emboldened and confident--proud, you could say--after reading this, and believing that even the worst hell can end and you can be okay. so, tl;dr, this book is genuinely haunting but, in the end, all the better for it. approach it with caution!!

My favorite quotes: "Maybe I was wrong about my wings. I think that maybe the myth about Orpheus isn't about losing your love: it is about learning how not to look back."
(page 157) "'You know, the thing about family is that you can choose it. And I choose you.'"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deadnaming, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Child abuse, Outing, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Suicide attempt, Torture, Confinement, and Transphobia

megan_sullivan's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Outing, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, and Abandonment

Moderate: Biphobia, Car accident, Deadnaming, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Torture

icannotweave's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Deadnaming, Transphobia, Torture, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Car accident, Drug use, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Vomit