Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

'Salem's Lot by Stephen King

32 reviews

ziopera's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Kidnapping, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, and Cursing

Minor: Homophobia

pilarluna's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

vann0's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.75

 It as scary as I remember from when I was younger 
Stephen king is a great writer but sometimes he gets a bit too into details 
It’s slow and it drags. I will say this is one of the books that has an actual ending that doesn’t feel tacked on 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Rape

kaimetcalfe's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Gore, Medical content, Violence, Child death, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Car accident, and Sexism

Moderate: Excrement, Cancer, War, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

bookbelle5_17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

Review of my Reread of Salem’s Lot

By: Stephen King

            Ben Mears is a mildly successful author, who hasn’t been back to his child home, Jerusalem’s Lot, in years, but he is still haunted by sneaking into the Marsten House and seeing the ghost of Hubie Marsten.  Now, Ben wants to exorcise his demons, but this time a new demon has arrived in the Lot intending to sink his teeth into this town and make the place his playground.

            Stephen King knows how to weave a good tale as he gives his own take on the vampire story. He knows how to build the tension and make it seem like things might be fine for the characters until the horror starts happening.  Just like in Needful Things, and IT, King establishes the town and residents slowly giving the reader all the gritty details about each of the characters. In this case, it helps hint at how the vampire will lure them, relying on their selfish desires.  One character, Dud Rogers is a hunchback and is constantly mocked and ridiculed, and the vampire promises to take this away and make him more attractive.  He seduces his victims by promising to fulfill those desires.  A serpent hissing in their ear, so to speak.  If you hated, or at least are tired of the craze of romanticizing vampires this probably more of your kind of vampire.  Barlow lurks in the shadows, hypnotizing his victims, but not lusting after them like in a lot of YA vampire stories.  He sees them more as puppets and you get to see him luring them in.  That’s something I wished Dracula had more of, but Dracula in the end was a heroes’ story. All the vampires in this are scary. He also describes the victim’s humanity dying in detail that is sad for those who love them and haven’t been bitten yet.  but I do wish in one scene, where our heroes must stake a vampire that is connected to one of them in a more personal way, I would like there to have been a little more to the scene.  Like the vampire trying to convince person to join them as a vampire I normally enjoy exposition scenes when shit hasn’t hit the fan just yet, but there were a couple of times when the characters were talking and wasting time.  There was a scene where our heroes seem to have forgotten they don’t know where Barlow is, and he already warned him what he would do next now they have pissed him off. It was hard to also read about the baby that was being abused by its mother.   There is romance, but it didn’t really get me in feels, but it was cute.  It sad with what happens with the couple.  Ben Mears is likable and flawed main character that is deeply affected by trauma in his life already, but Mark Petrie is my favorite. His bravery and acceptance of the situation is admirable, and he has a confidence of having a better understanding of things without being cocky about it.   Despite him being 12 and me being 33, I related to his personality more than the other characters, though Matt Burke is a close second.   I also like Father Callahan, especially since he is a priest, who doesn’t act self-righteous and is a man with faults making a far more interesting character. This vampire story kept me turning them pages and wanting to what was going to happen next.  BTW, I personally think this is one of his good endings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Racial slurs, Violence, Addiction, Death of parent, Murder, and Physical abuse

zone_a3's review against another edition

dark tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Child abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Blood, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Animal death

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Bullying, Car accident, and Alcoholism

rosiecake666's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.0

I loved the characters and plot of this. Stephen King is one of my fave authors so I love majority of his works. This has to be one of the best gothic vampire horrors I've read in a while 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Child abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia and Alcoholism

itsheyfay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Infidelity

Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Child abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

laurenkristine's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Homophobia

shieldbearer's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Excellent writing, and the slow pace is absolutely a plus- like building an intricate domino structure before knocking it all down. Found myself particularly attached to Mark. King has a knack for portraying humanity at its most grotesque that is more fascinating than his monsters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Car accident, Grief, Sexual content, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Fatphobia, Ableism, Islamophobia, Transphobia, War, Bullying, Medical content, Racism, Racial slurs, Homophobia, and Vomit

Minor: Excrement, Addiction, Rape, Pedophilia, and Abortion