Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

L'Ombra Del Vent by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

59 reviews

amhud1030's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Classism

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment

bookwormcat's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was a great book. Beautiful prose, compelling characters and a fascinating mystery. Dark and sad but with moments of real humour. I loved it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent

Minor: Incest, Excrement, War

kell_xavi's review against another edition

2.0

medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War, Classism

Minor: Excrement

chrisljm's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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1. this book would not pass the bechdel test.
2. the twist almost made me shit myself. 
3. “the day was turning out to be longer than The Brothers Karamazov” is so funny. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War

Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Racial slurs, Rape, Antisemitism, Abortion, Classism

rachel1's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous mysterious medium-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Police brutality

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Medical trauma, Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent

chalkletters's review against another edition

1.5

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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The Shadow of the Wind is one of those books that seems to always be featured in book shops. I must have picked it up a dozen times to read the blurb or the first page but never quite got around to actually buying it. It’s a book about books, and while those appeal to me as a reader in theory, they are often slightly disappointing in practice.

Such was the case with The Shadow of the Wind. While the cemetery of forgotten books is a fascinating concept, Carlos Ruiz Zafón spends hardly any time there. The Shadow of the Wind isn’t so much a book about books as a book about one author and his mysterious backstory. Except, some of the mystery, specifically Lain Coubert’s identity, could be guessed hundreds of pages before it was officially revealed.

Daniel and Julián simply aren’t that interesting as characters, unless you find adolescent male romances particularly compelling. Sadly, the women they fall in love with aren’t very well fleshed out, they exist mostly as aloof and unattainable examples of femininity, which is tiresome. Carlos Ruin Zafón does much better with the minor characters: Daniel’s father is sympathetic, Fermin’s story is unexpected, Bernada is sweet, and I could go on. In terms of building a large and interconnected cast of characters, Carlos Ruin Zafón has succeeded, but the story he chooses to tell with them isn’t all that inspired.

The Shadow of the Wind’s prose is very nice, there were several poetic descriptions of Barcelona, usually at the beginnings of chapters, as well as some lovely atmospheric moments throughout. It does veer towards pretension at times, but not enough to ruin the reading experience.

Overall, The Shadow of the Wind is solidly written, and has good moments especially in Carlos Ruin Zafón’s minor characters, but the main story wasn’t something I’d especially recommend.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Incest, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Pregnancy, War

frenandjen's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

star_boi's review against another edition

3.5

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Overall an enjoyable story. In my opinion, the story dragged a little in the beginning, but once Fermin as a character is introduced the pace picks up. Sometimes it was hard to remember which character had which background story, but i very much liked how the stories were all tied together somehow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual harassment

rosy_carolynne's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Murder, Sexual harassment

tessduets's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

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I loved this book so much. Lots of shocking plot twists and a completely unique story. While it was exciting and mysterious it was also a rather cozy read. It is beautifully written and is now one of my favorite books. I had the added fun of getting to read it while visiting Barcelona, definitely recommend that if you get the chance.  

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism