Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

14 reviews

jaik923's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

adaora_ble's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Confinement, Dementia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Torture

Minor: Animal death and Slavery

danasaur's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Confinement, Trafficking, Torture, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Violence, Abandonment, Murder, Gun violence, and Blood

Minor: Excrement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Vomit

maddiearthur's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking

briiforte's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.25

The writing begins slow and informative, but that’s the whole point. Piranesi is an unreliably naive narrator who strives to see the best The House has to offer. He’s notoriously too kind for his own good, but—once the plot

becomes apparent that The Other is not a protagonist

, the remainder of the story is gripping and magical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Cursing, Gun violence, Slavery, and Vomit

miller8d's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

4.0

I loved that this book felt like a refreshing escape from the normal structure and narrative that many fiction books follow.

I was surprised by most of the book, and deeply appreciated that the magic of this universe was both fantastical and simple, both logical and inexplicable. I found myself confused about the storyline/losing focus frequently throughout the book, which normally would bother me, but it felt like I was experiencing the same thing as the narrator LOL, which I enjoyed. I found the narrator’s genuinely kind soul very touching and deeply enjoyed the process of discovering what had happened. I didn’t realize it was a mystery novel until halfway through which is awesome. The well-established isolated world meant that, with the appearance of each new person or information, it was genuinely shocking. Very interesting and refreshing read.

Also, I pictured The Other as Brett Goldstein.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Kidnapping, Gun violence, Dementia, Confinement, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Death, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit and Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Trafficking, and Blood

Although this book covers many dark topics,

beyond the main topics of confinement and kidnapping and gaslighting,

there are very few graphic descriptions of physical violence or torture. Like for example,

there is a gun and attempted shooting, but nobody actually gets shot, and there are no graphic details about it, etc.

isabyrne's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

This book is probably for someone, just not for me. It was too surreal and there were many content warnings that made me feel uncomfortable (and aren’t talked about a lot because they are spoilers). I also really didn’t like the narrator or his voice

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Trafficking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

englishrobin210's review against another edition

fast-paced

2.75

Interesting little book (esp the beginning!), but once the mystery starting unraveling I lost a bit of interest in the second half. Very atmospheric and loved Piranesi as a main character. The House was fascinating and I wish would could have spent more time with the labyrinth and the statues. Something that irked me was

when Arne-Sayles was revealed to be a predatory gay man. Frankly, an unnecessary detail for the story and put a bad taste in my mouth for the rest of the book.

If you liked this concept but prefer more thoughtful portrayals of queer characters and more time spent on worldbuilding, I recommend The Starless Sea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Sexual assault, Excrement, and Pedophilia

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Vomit, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, and Trafficking

Moderate: Excrement, Mental illness, Murder, and Gun violence

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Child death, Cursing, and Homophobia

Minor: Excrement, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Homophobia warning is for what reads to me as the predatory gay stereotype.