Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica

78 reviews

dark sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

now, don’t get me wrong - this was a good read! .. but i’m a reader that prefers slow to medium pace throughout the novel. this book started out slow, but once the obvious plot began to unravel it went too quickly and by the time we discover the sicko who hid his face the pages ended. . . that was it? that’s what we’re left with? usually this type of response would mean the novel was just *that* good, but no - it gave me shivers, it definitely made me question a lot, but it ended to soon and the ending was rushed. 

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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dark reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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challenging dark sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Mad Max meets Saint Maud

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challenging dark slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I almost DNF'ed at 28% - in the end I'm glad I struggled through it but the beginning was too much for me. Strange writing style, splatterpunk (for the sake of it), and not much direction. Right around the 1/3 mark, there's a noticeable shift in the writing style, storyline, etc that made this finishable. In the end, I wish there was much more to this from the start than gore and violence, because then the second half (and especially the end) leaves little time for exploring the issues.

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

My absolute favorite kind of speculative fiction. A half lucid main character who has been through it, a cult, an oasis in a fallen world, and bugs. 
Check all the trigger warning friends this is a dark one, but absolutely worth the read if post apocalyptic spec fic with some religious trauma is your jam. 

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I didn’t really enjoy this book. Not sure what the hype is about this author’s writing style. Her characters are not well developed. Overall- didn’t like the writing style and presentation but the themes were fascinating and when given to another author, I might have appreciated them more. 

However, I think this book IS OF IMPORTANCE.

I’m an ex Catholic and I thought I’d enjoy this because it has overt themes relating to Opus Dei (a sect of Catholicism that contributes huge amounts of money to the Catholic Church). I am highly critical of Catholic people and condemn their entire religion as a cult. Opus Dei specifically reminded me of this book because of the self flagellation that Opus Dei members participate in (to this day). 

All that religious trauma being considered, I thought I would appreciate a book that seemed referential to the way Catholicism and specifically Opus Dei functions. Did I enjoy the way the themes of these religious cults were presented? Sure! 

I think the gore was fascinating at points  and the levels within the cult’s hierarchy were fascinating. I also got a big laugh out of “the erroneous God, the false son, and the negative mother” (112) for ex Catholic reasons… 

I know that this book was written by someone who went to Catholic School TM and A BAD OPPRESSIVE ONE. (Which one isn’t though? :)) I do have sympathy for her experience! I appreciate her perspective and how she has translated her traumatic experiences into this book for other people to experience and hopefully understand(not likely, everyone kisses the Pope’s butt). This book does bring up the idea of Paganism towards the end especially and blatantly. I appreciate that perspective as an atheist who much prefers Paganism to a cult like Catholicism or whatever other cult that masquerades as a religion. Speaking of, the ending feels like it’s referencing Mormonism, specifically Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalists… ALSO the cult leader reminds me of JIM JONES when Jim Jones would just yell fear mongering brainwashing statements at his cult over loud speakers while hiding in his room… (ya know?, the guy who made everyone drink the Koolaid!) 

Trigger warnings:
please be warned that rape is spoken of on the following pages: 140-141, 169, 172
animal torture and death of a cat is spoken of here: 142-143

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