Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

9 reviews

semlan's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.5

I found the book to be very confusing and had a hard time connecting to the characters. I liked the beginning of the book though, but unfortunately it went downhill from there.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Sexual content, and Domestic abuse

beanaroni's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Genocide, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Slavery, War, Blood, Kidnapping, Violence, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, and Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

ilovejaydyn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Torture

lanarkunas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• 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: Body shaming, Infidelity, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Gun violence, War, Vomit, Sexism, Death of parent, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Mass/school shootings, Kidnapping, Child death, Classism, and Violence

theflowergarden's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death and Gore

pravda_iskra's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

2.0

I should’ve loved this book. 

The cover immediately intrigued me, the Black Maria standing out as an immediate Akhmatova reference. I speak Russian, have read the Russian literary canon, and I’ve lived in the post-Soviet space. I loved all the mythology Valente added into the story and the world she created for those mythological creatures. 

But Americans can’t write Russians well. We’re still stuck in our Cold War mindset where Russian people can only be conceived and written one specific way. We can only look at their history through our own biases towards it. And this was so glaring and annoying to me that I almost DNF’d. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

abominablesnowaro's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, War, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Starvation

untraveledworld's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, War, Violence, and Infidelity

archaicgambit's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was a beautiful gateway into russian mythology and history! I adore all of Valente's work, and the struggles of Maria are so real. The prose is sumptuous, as always, and there is a beautiful tragedy inherent from the beginning as you know this has all played out a thousand times before.

I am docking .25 stars because i feel the prologue/ending were a little confusing and knowing Valente's stunning work I feel like it could've landed better.  </spoilers> I understand this is subjective and still totally love the book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Gore