Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

22 reviews

greenan26's review against another edition

challenging dark lighthearted tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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

Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Murder, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Mental illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Drug use

monicaa_d's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Viscerally disturbing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Child abuse, Suicide, Animal death, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Dementia, Torture, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Violence

juleseliasw's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

Pretty outdated at times, but beautifully written descriptive details. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Gore, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Sexual violence, and Animal death

thursdd4y's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Child abuse, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Bullying, Confinement, Sexual content, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Ableism, Stalking, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Sexual violence

moviesnob04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Abandonment

mushasha's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Ableism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, and Bullying

eldritch_ace's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and Ableism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Stalking

Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Medical content, Child death, Cannibalism, and Physical abuse

heather_harrison's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.25

This book has left me with the controversial question once again - is the book actually better than the move? This time I'm not sure. 

I enjoyed how the backstory for Francis Dolarhyde was teased out, and his bizarre relationships. I would have certainly enjoyed a bit more of the infamous Hannibal Lecter. His cat and mouse relationship with "retired" FBI profiler Will Graham was exceptionally interesting. 

I kept finding myself pulled out of the story with the blantant sexism... Every woman that appears anywhere in the story described in terms of her beauty and it was honestly just annoying. It was weird that Graham would focus on woman when the families are all targeted by the Tooth Fairy, and the idea that he picked the families based on the woman did turn out to be completely unfounded. There were so many moments were our protagonist, our seeming knight in shining armor, just did not pass the vibe check. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Stalking, Misogyny, Torture, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Body horror, and Death of parent

gilmargirl's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, Body horror, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Body shaming, Child abuse, Bullying, and Kidnapping

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

hocuscrocus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This will always be one of my favorite books and I will always give it full stars whenever the opportunity arises. That being said, I'd only recommend it to others with some caveats.
First, there are some parts of this book that are truly disgusting. Read with caution and mind the content warnings.
Second, if your main exposure to this series is the NBC Hannibal adaptation, just know this is a very different style of storytelling. I've loved every bit of media related to this series from childhood (I may never understand why my dad let me watch Silence of the Lambs at 8) and I consider NBC's Hannibal to be a masterpiece. That said, the books are much more linear. Maybe a little dry at times. I personally enjoy Thomas Harris' writing style, but as always, your mileage may vary.

I could go on forever and ever about how much I love this book and the rest of the series but I'll spare the essay here. It's a great story to be enjoyed safely and with an open mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Suicide attempt, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Pregnancy

Minor: Dementia and Racism