Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

3 reviews

librarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a really enjoyable and engaging read. It was  eally well written, especially in how the storytelling explores how a story can be warped as it passes through multiple perspectives. Young Eric, Violet, and Iris are lovely and the pacing between the late 70s and late 2010s works really well. This is another one of those books, that while I know it's horror, it doesn't read as necessarily scary for me. The nuance of the characters was the driving force behind the book.

one thing that was Neve quite far enough explored was the kiss scene. I think it was meant to express Violet's impulsiveness seeping back through as she forsakes the medications she's being given and looks into what she thinks is Iris's past. That and the lure Violet feels towards Iris; the desire to know and be known. Just having that expressed through a kiss between characters referred to as sisters throughout the whole rest of the book was odd. Especially so when it was never brought up again. Violet having wished for a sister, and having that wish fulfilled is deeply unsettling, knowing their Gran had Eric keeping tabs on her and was using hypnosis on her. The ending of the book and the uncovering that Violet is patient S puts quite a lot of earlier events into perspective.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Grief, Violence, Gore, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Animal death, Physical abuse, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, Medical content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Car accident, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction and Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Ableism, and Incest

Also warning for eugenics

espressoreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book throws the unexpected at a person.  It takes eugenics, an aspect of the world past, and likely present, which Americans like to pretend didn’t happen in the USA, and puts it in your face from the perspective of kids.  I was surprised multiple times in this book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder, Torture, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Stalking

Minor: Sexual content

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

An awesome, spooky and twisty take on "Frankenstein." It was so good that I often forgot that it was a retelling. It's so good at standing on its own in that way. I feel like there isn't a lot that I can say about this book without giving stuff away - I went into it mostly blindly and all I knew was that it had creepy kids and that it was a Frankenstein retelling. That's all I needed. So, if that's all you need, pick it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Gun violence, Murder, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Animal death, Child death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, and Racism

Moderate: Fatphobia and Incest

Minor: Abortion, War, Self harm, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Excrement