Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Penance by Eliza Clark

135 reviews

writeasiread's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexism, Murder, and Bullying

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Classism, Child death, Body shaming, Alcohol, and Ableism

katarinabee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Pedophilia, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, Mental illness, and Child death

Moderate: Classism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Bullying, and Rape

rzh's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

floored 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Murder, Death, Torture, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Grief, Sexual assault, and Homophobia

sandysmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

3.25

Dark, compelling narrative, which at times was difficult to read. Based on a story of 5 teenagers, 3 of whom torture and kill the 4th girl and the 5th girl falsely accused of being involved. It is also about the unreliable crocked narrator journalist who interviews those involved, researching the Internet, blogs, and fandoms writing about the murder, some of the writing factual, other parts a work of fiction. It was uncomfortable for me to read, which makes the rating very hard, as the book is so well written. It also made me consider the way in which things are reported, so I'm more likely to stick to fiction rather than glorified true crime reads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Torture, and Bullying

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, Violence, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

e11en's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Toxic friendship, Child death, Gun violence, Bullying, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Drug use, Incest, and Suicide

Minor: Fatphobia, Ableism, and Homophobia

rilakkumas's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Homophobia, Mass/school shootings, Bullying, Cursing, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Incest, Violence, Toxic friendship, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Death, Biphobia, and Blood

jen_prouvaire's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Ableism, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Pandemic/Epidemic

enkiiii's review against another edition

dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

this book is so good. very shrewd and nuanced commentary on the ethics of true crime. and an “emotionally truthful” (as per the story’s fictional writer Alec Z. Carelli) depiction of what it’s like to be a teenager, and how that formative and often traumatic experience gets trivialized by adults until, well, somebody gets murdered. it was a difficult though entertaining read. and there’s a fun bit of metafiction in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Pedophilia

jhartman16's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

pilarlopezleiva's review against another edition

dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Bullying, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gore, Grief, Torture, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Mental illness, and Suicide