Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Beach Read by Emily Henry

4 reviews

cherryfreckle's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Cursing, Cancer, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Torture, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury

lucielockettreads's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

Emily Henry just knows how to write banter without it sounding really cringe. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Misogyny, Torture, and Vomit

sunflowerlu's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

So…this is a (purposefully) misleading title, and I couldn’t be happier that it drew me in. By the end, I was ugly-crying and smiling through it. Sweet, romantic, steamy, heartbreaking, and so, so much more than I expected. It deeply resonated with me in many ways, and I fell in love with the characters and the writing, after going through the same thing with People We Meet On Vacation. Definitely one of my favourite books now!
I’d recommend going in without knowing much about the plot, and let it take you away. You won’t regret it, even through the ugly-crying at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Murder, and Physical abuse

Minor: Car accident, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture

btg's review

hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-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

A truly spectacular romance book, "Beach Read" gets my five-star rating for the following reasons: 

1. Despite being a romance book, it doesn't feel like eating pure sugar. By including Gus's character, Henry creates a world that is, at times, truly awful -- and yet the characters manage to earn their happy ending anyway. 
2. A spectacularly creative premise, grounded in realistic experience
3. The wonderful emotional hurt/comfort scenes that hit all the notes 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Vomit

Moderate: Cancer, Torture, Suicide, Infidelity, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

The premise of the book starts with the death of a major character's parent, and one major character arc is on reconciling that character's adultery. Main characters discuss a parent's previous battle with cancer, but the cancer remains in remission throughout the entire book timeline and said character only shows up a couple of times. A side plot on the book focuses on investigating a suicide cult; multiple side characters interview with the main characters, describing specifics (though not graphically) and at one point the main characters visit the site of the cult. Physically and emotionally abusive practices of the cult are discussed, though again, not graphically. A major character has a backstory of emotional and physical abuse from a parent which largely forms their character arc. The abuse itself is never depicted, but is discussed and consequences are clear in the character's actions.

Said major character admits to having a mental health disorder, taking medication and being in therapy; it's a one-off line, and the specifics of this and diagnosis in question are never discussed.

A major character vomits in the carnival scene, prompting the other major character to admit they are emotophobic. Said emetophobia is brought up a couple more times (sometimes in a teasing fashion), but usually handled respectfully. If a reader skips a few lines, they can get past the part of the vomit scene that is potentially triggering.