Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

12 reviews

lanid's review

adventurous dark

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Confinement, Sexual assault, Death, Vomit, and Torture

Minor: Misogyny, War, Cannibalism, and Suicide

chantaal's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Gore, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and War

Moderate: Classism and Suicidal thoughts

grandiose_r's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Read it in one sitting and loved it. Very lovable rogues, and I really enjoyed the variety of different characters among the Liangshan bandits. I particularly love the way Lu Da talks, both towards other characters and her internal thoughts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Violence, Body horror, Death, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Cannibalism, War, and Sexual assault

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

shay43geek's review

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Sexual harassment, War, Gore, Sexual assault, and Sexism

kiwi_00's review

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny

Everything about this book was fantastic!!! I loved the diversity of the characters and the way that they reacted to certain situations seemed realistic.

Lin Chong is the realest bitch ever!!!

ninjamuse's review

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, War, Classism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Cannibalism

Minor: Confinement

livcab's review

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Death, Torture, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War

Minor: Rape

jrbenson95's review

adventurous inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Cannibalism, Sexism, Gore, and Murder

Minor: Sexual assault

leanne_miron's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Death, Sexual assault, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Cannibalism and Misogyny

adancewithbooks's review

dark reflective 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? Yes

4.5

  

Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway. 

"I only mean that as yet, our advancement has not come at the expense of men. But it shall. It must. There is not sufficient room for us otherwise. Our true success will mean some of them lose power...and that will not come without anger and fear. "

"Then we should slow its progress. A tidal wave spread over many generations becomes a gentle flow, and either one gets to the end. "

"A flow! You mean a trickle."

"Even a trickle can wash away a mountain eventually. "

The Water Outlaws is a gender spun retelling of the Chinese classic novel Water Margin. And a hefty one at that. The author doesn't once shy away from talking about the hard things in this book. Which can make this book a little jarring in places but it is also important. Because even though this is set in the past, a lot of its topics still has baring on our modern days.

The above quote shows how this book starts. Our main character Lin Chong believes that if she follows the rules and keeps her head down, she will be respected and be kept out of harms way. Unlike younger females she sees who are naive. It isn't right if it happens to them but changing your behaviour is a must to survive. That is until she finds that despite her perfect behaviour and older age, she is sexually assaulted by her superior. The thing that she was trying to protect her friend from by coming with her, now happens to her. And when she does end up fighting, she gets accused of treason.

That whole scene of the sexual assault. All the thoughts that Lin Chong had. It perfectly illustrated why most women won't tell about sexual assault right away. Why they don't just kick back or slap a hand away. Because the power always lays with the men or the position above you. Because if you slap that person away they will slap you. Because if you don't lie down and be silent, they will threaten your family or take away your job. Sexual assault isn't just physical. It is also psychological. A mind game that the assaulter plays on you. And it is society that says, stop complaining, stop whining. It is not that bad.

'How could civilization be rotten to its core and still function?'

It is also a story that champions women, feminism. There are women that are strong, smart and capable of being leaders. It was interesting to see that Lin Chong's friend, who championed feminism the most, was the one that ended up giving out on her principles when put on the spot by someone higher in power. Yet Lin Chong changes to wanting to throw out a tidal wave. Because in the end, when you are forced into a corner, sometimes you have to lash out.

I would have rated this book 5 stars but it took slightly too long to get to the end. And I wasn't particularly happy about that scene of cannibalism and revenge. I understand the revenge, not everyone is pretty in anger. But the cannibalism was a step too far for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Violence, Sexual assault, Torture, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide

Decapitation