Reviews tagging 'Torture'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

32 reviews

barefootbetsy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.5

I really liked this. Yes, the pacing could’ve been more even, but the concept was solid and I enjoyed the story!  I, like many other reviewers, could’ve done without the romance subplot; but those issues aside, I thought the story was well done and it certainly drew me in quickly and thoroughly.

The history was fascinating and I have a new appreciation for how difficult (and horrifying) living with the remnants (and current iterations) of slavery and redlining and stolen land must be 😞

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Blood, Grief, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, and Excrement

vaguely_pink'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Hate crime

Minor: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Suicide, Vomit, Confinement, Dementia, Deportation, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Racial slurs, and Sexual content

ret1234's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

Absolutely loved this book. “Get out” vibes FOR SURE! Cole did an amazing job covering the racial history of brooklyn and new york and the horrors that gentrification impose. Slow to start but once it picks up I couldn’t stop thinking about it!!!!!!! MUST READ!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Deportation, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Addiction

wackly93's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Classism, Torture, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Police brutality, Murder, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Slavery

mandi_lea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Suicide, Death, Kidnapping, Confinement, Medical trauma, and Torture

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This thriller was clever, well thought-out and clearly well researched. I found myself learning about the links between racism and gentrification, which was a cool thing to experience during a thriller.

Though it feels obvious throughout where the book is going, I still found myself anxiously following along to see where the story would go and what the ultimate result of the plot would be. The things that are revealed about all the characters, sometimes even just briefly, add so many additional layers to the storyline.

At first, I didn't like the ending and thought it was rushed and too positive after encountering such an all-powerful villain. But after some reflection, I like what it says about resilience of Black communities and about community care defeating even the most powerful structured oppression. "Too positive" or not, I feel like those are messages I want to see in the world and it makes me happy to see them reflected in this book.

My only actual complaint is that some elements of the story are never really resolved and just sort of forgotten in the end, like Sydney's fear of bed bugs and why Drea was working with the enemy (or even how long she was or what the story was there).

Fans of Get Out or The Other Black Girl would definitely like this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Violence, Death, Torture, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Suicide

zakiyaj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Stalking, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Classism, and Colonisation

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective 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

4.75

One of the best books I’ve ever read, if not THE best. 
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time. 

Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Abandonment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Alcohol, Addiction, Hate crime, Outing, Racial slurs, and Slavery

roguesaw's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Racism

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Police brutality, Confinement, and Gun violence

mysterymom40's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Racism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Torture, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Grief, and Blood

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Drug use

bedbugs and a character scratching herself too much, leaving skin damage; on page sex scene