Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Nefando by Mónica Ojeda

13 reviews

steph_phanie's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Excrement, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Sexual violence, Incest, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Animal death, and Child abuse

micardila's review

challenging dark

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

Thematically, this book explores the power of controlling our own narrative, ethical curiosity and rebellion, the tension being body and mind (material and immaterial experience), and how stories can help reveal or test our natures.

This book is easier to read/digest when approached from a lens of cultural and moral study. While there is a point driving the story forward, the mystery plot is more of a catalyst than the point of the novel. The novel suffers from not having a driving plot. It's structure of various POVs keeps the story from ever really taking its full form.

There are trigger warnings for this book: sexual abuse, pedophilia, rape, self harm, to name a few. Some of these are told from first person POV, so it will test your experience....which I think is kind of the point. Once I figured this out, I tended to skim these parts or skip altogether. And that's okay! Again, the book is exploring these ethical and personal themes around these subjects, and I think it's a good sign if you are disgusted and want to skim/skip. 

I'm still thinking about the themes and content matter and whether the shock value is successful in delivering it. I think to some extent yes because it is the reader experience during these scenes that the book is commenting on...the fact that many of these happen during the metafiction is further proof of that.

Anyway, this was challenging and one of the first books I ever had to put down for a bit before coming back to. I wouldn't say it was an enjoyable read. It did, however, get me thinking about certain topics/themes and our role in them, so for that I give it 2 stars reflecting my experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Incest, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Suicide and Animal cruelty

hannahglass's review

Blahhhhhh. I see what the author is going for, but this is less horror and more abuse/torture porn. Pass :/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Self harm, Rape, Incest, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Animal death, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Body horror, and Adult/minor relationship

ryanwhitley's review

challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.0

I feel bamboozled. This book was not really what it was advertised to be in the synopsis. That synopsis sounded great; what I read was not. And, at the risk of sounding prudish, it was pretty disgusting. This may be up your alley if you’re in to a lot of taboo/boundary breaking and not really into plot or character development, or indeed, a narrative thread that can be followed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Transphobia, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Violence, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Incest, Gore, Torture, Sexual assault, and Rape

seaweed657's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Incest, Dysphoria, Self harm, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Rape, Body horror, Excrement, Sexual violence, Suicide, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Torture

piperback_books's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

booksybookbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Body horror, Torture, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Dysphoria

xlizabeth's review

challenging dark fast-paced

4.75

This book was fucked up but I couldn’t stop reading, so well written. 

I will admit there were some paragraphs I had to skip because I couldn’t mentally handle them.

An incredibly brutal character study about suffering, trauma, and desires of some very very troubled young adults.

Check TWs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Drug abuse, Excrement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Religious bigotry

zeebjeeb's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

4.0

This books is dark, disturbing and unsettling…but that’s the point. Ojeda wants you to understand pain, to make you uncomfortable and get under your skin. There is graphic content which was too much for me, but I understand that that was the point. We think of people who hurt people as monsters but they are just as human as the rest of us, “they weren’t victims of monstrosity, but of humanity”. This is a multi media story introducing us to six troubled characters all coping with trauma, redefining their trauma through art. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

readingwithgoose's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Animal death, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Confinement, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Blood

Moderate: Excrement and Mental illness