Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Penance by Eliza Clark

120 reviews

dna_books's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

kfergy's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

Really interesting read, especially as someone who has dipped into the true crime genre but also feels an 'ick' about aspects of the rising interest and production within it. Excellent use of framing, given that the reader is told at the beginning that this is a sus publication. Made me glad I'm not in high school anymore and that Tumblr was in its infancy when I was. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Mass/school shootings, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Vomit, and Kidnapping

polly_ellen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It took me a while to get into but I really loved this book. The story was fascinating and gripping - even though you know what it is right from the outset. The character development and insight into provided into them and their motives and what led to their crime was absolutely fascinating. I also loved the way the central plot was linked to contemporary events very relevant for my generation. The wider commentary on Brexit, celebrity culture, class, family, online behaviours and the cult of tumblr was so gripping. I really think Eliza Clark is a voice of a generation. 

And then finally, the commentary on the ethics of the book and the true crime genre at the end just added to the intrigue and made the book even more unique. Would really recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide

samanthaleereads's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

3.5

Audiobook version is so bad, which is sad because given the text format, it had so much potential. It’s only the main guy voice though, he reads everything in a deadpan way that quickly gets annoying (was this the point?). Footnotes are also read as part of the text, which overall lessened my immersion, as I’m hearing what “kin” means out of the voice of someone who reads LMAO as “le maw”.
That aside, the book is an interesting take on the true crime industry. It shows (exposes?) the many faced masks that “true crime content creators” adopt and is ruthless with every single one of them. The narrative forces you to reconsider as you read on the actual “true” crime so just when you think that you’ve found moral ground, it gets questioned again and again. Goes to show that there’s never a good ”moral” standing point in the matter or, in the words of fictional-disgraced-author Alec Carelli “the snake has eaten its own tail”.
Way to write a flop journalist btw, that guy sucks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Police brutality

bloodbuzz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Murder

rosecahill's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

rayanaj's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.0

** spoiler alert ** this book was shaping up to be a five star until i got to the final act- girl c. i understand that the entire point of the book is for it to about how disgusting the true crime industry really is, but i am not a true crime girlie and just found girl c's story hard to read. it made me sick. ill sleep with the light on tonight because it was that unsettling.

the ending was phenomenal though. it wasnt a huge surprise as i had already suspected it as i had been alluded to what themes this novel was exploring, but still impeccably executed regardless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

beancamille's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

oz2021's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Pedophilia, Suicide, and Mass/school shootings