Reviews tagging 'Rape'

The Ghost Woods by C.J. Cooke

33 reviews

mooglemania's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

Author said "fuck those lesbians"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Rape, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape and Abortion

lyndsayscan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror and Pregnancy

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Dementia, Animal death, and Rape

chrisscorkscrew's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Grief, Chronic illness, Dementia, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, Sexual violence, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

ellenigrace's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious

4.5

Great plot and great Gothic vibes but I struggled to differentiate between the dual timelines because the narrators' voices were so similar.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pregnancy, Dementia, Confinement, Death, Rape, Blood, Grief, Animal death, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Car accident, Lesbophobia, Abortion, Infidelity, and Homophobia

camelia_martin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

Finished this book in around 8 hours! It was gripping for a while, then it started becoming a bit boring like the plot building was taking too long.. then suddenly - bang, a revelation to keep you hooked

I really thought Mabel was a ghost until finding out she’s alive in the shed!

Those little revelations really kept the intrigue, and the way the seemingly unlinked characters and their lives became interlinked was incredible. 
I had a gut feeling about how Mabel was pregnant and despite turning out to be correct I was still shocked by the way it was revealed. 
I feel like Wulfie’s storyline was a bit rushed at the end - I really wanted to feel more for his character. The hints

like him slipping up and calling his “grandad” dad a few times

were great foreshadowing. 

I will say I didn’t find it scary, though I don’t find horror/thriller or gothic horror books to be scary anyway, but I did find myself reading faster and faster as I hit the last 100 pages. 

Mrs W’s situation was predictable

they mentioned the cordyceps taking over a host body so many times throughout the book, and her few sudden flips in behaviour couldn’t have been due to a personality disorder, so her being taken over by the curse woman was obvious

Overall though an enjoyable book that kept me wanting more! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Animal death, Grief, Child abuse, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Dementia, Pregnancy, Rape, Child death, Classism, Death, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexism

dungareece's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I can’t even begin to express how much I fell in love with the women in this book. Their stories, their strengths, their vulnerabilities. I am so not ready to leave their world behind. 

It is deliciously gothic and eerie with the suitably damp, dark and mushroom infested setting of a secluded Scottish mansion, Lichen Hall. Lichen Hall doubles as a mother and baby home for unwed mothers. The history of which I was only vaguely aware of prior to reading this book. 

I adore a book with multiple narrators, and CJ Cooke is so wonderful at braiding seemingly unrelated narratives together in the  most intricate ways. This book is the perfect love letter to women and being othered from society. Beautifully sad stories of motherhood and queerness are intertwined with a wonderful sprinkling of magic. A full on rollercoaster of emotions, I had moments of being in tears followed by moments of kicking my feet in joy. 

Ps I have never cried at an authors note before so that was new

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Rape

Moderate: Animal death and Vomit

Minor: Homophobia

nickreadsquick's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

I liked The Lighthouse Witches but I absolutely loved this. I read 3/4 of it in one night and the rest the next morning. It had all the themes I love. I do think it is more of a horror than a thriller though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Mentioned, not explicitly shown, but some details given eg. location and person

lydiavsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

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

4.25

Another great witchy mystery from C. J. Cooke with cosy gothic vibes.

I loved the setting and the premise of the house. The mystery was really well crafted and I loved the folklore elements that came into it, as well as the characters and dynamics between them.

Duel pov/timeline always works well for me and I really enjoyed both character perspectives. The perspectives slowly joining together towards the end helped to keep the momentum going for what would otherwise be a fairly slow paced storyline. 

All round just a really solid story that was enjoyable the whole way through and I hope to continue reading more from C. J. Cooke

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Animal cruelty

prdskat's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Truly captivating and beautiful. I would have liked more insight and closure on the specifics of certain parts of the ending, but I really enjoyed this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

middlekidgabs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape