Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Sweetpea by C.J. Skuse

36 reviews

annasaurus25's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional funny fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail

barbiebateman's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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"As the great Bart Simpson himself once said, Nobody every suspects the butterfly."

I absolutely love this. I have heard about Sweetpea because of the tv series that stars Ella Purnell as our titular main character - Rhiannon Lewis.  Now, after reading the first book in the series, I will have to check out the TV show since I found the book so enjoyable. 

It is sick, twisted yet left me wanting more thanks to our likable anti-hero and writing that is so deliciously dark. C.J. Skuse perfectly sparks up the imagination thanks to the juicy gory details of Rhiannon's murders. Yet, she is deeply broken and feels human. I absolutely adore this beautiful, crazy psychopath.

I need to read the other books from this series because I am excited to see where this will take Rhiannon next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment

Minor: Racism, Self harm, Stalking

hales8181's review against another edition

1.0

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I enjoy gritty thrillers, I don’t mind the violence that comes with a Karin Slaughter even - but this book contains so much gratuitous violence & sexual violence, and the storyline is frankly ludicrous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

skyturtles's review against another edition

3.25

dark funny sad medium-paced

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Excellent narration, interesting premise, but just not my cup of Lady Grey. Read if you like female serial killers, colorful British language, and traumatic backstories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault

btrz7's review against another edition

3.75

fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder

redreads_'s review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I don’t know what it says about me that I loved this audiobook but I genuinely did. I sniggered, gasped and rolled my eyes the whole way through and enjoyed it thoroughly. I will be listening to/ reading the rest of the series. The book is definitely better than the series!! The narrator did a fantastic job as well! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abortion

lanehampton's review against another edition

4.0

dark 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

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Bridget Jones meets Dexter but more twisted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

_keighley_'s review against another edition

3.75

dark funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content

Minor: Infertility, Abortion

sineadhg's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

imelpa's review against another edition

2.0

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I didn't enjoy this - if I were reading rather than listening I would have DNFed quite early on. 

The bulk of the book is Rhiannon complaining about people around her, with minimal plot other the checkout boy squishing the bread at the till and her occasional murders.

The sexual element felt overplayed and the

borderline necrophilia

was unnecessary.

I also didn't enjoy that

pregnancy

was the main lever for any shred of character development - it didn't seem to make sense in the context of the previous 10 hours of learning about Rhiannon.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Minor: Pedophilia, Self harm