Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

56 reviews

aducharme4's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Homophobia and Infidelity

marysam's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This novel is very mentally and emotionally challenging. Common theme is moral ambiguity & the complexities that a person contains. Contrasted with the black and white thinking of ideals. All of this usurped at the end of the novel.  despite complexities of “sides” in a conflict, you can’t watch injustices from the sideline without being complicit/a participant in the injustice. 
The book moved at a moderate pace until the end scene. I became enwrapped in the story and unable to put it down. By the end of the novel during his interrogation I realized that I too don't know the main characters name. How did I make it to the end of the novel without realizing that I never knew it……

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

goodvibes22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and War

juliahoward's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

rutabagab's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Excrement, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and War

I loved this book UP until the last 3-5 chapters. Finishing it was difficult bc it threw me for a disturbing AF loop.

thaotle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War

dreadpiraterudis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Such a breathtaking read. Engaging, painful, poignant and just a fucking good book. It engages with politics, philosophy, history and media through a protagonist who felt so alive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

stalfos's review against another edition

challenging dark funny medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism and Death of parent

hlv99's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.5

I was looking forward to reading this book. Unfortunately I took over a month to read it because I hated it. I did not like how any of the women were portrayed in this novel, or how they were written. The main character was unbearable and even if that was the point, there were no characters or plot points to make the book an enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

jessica_lam's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

3.25

This was a challenging read, and perhaps because of it, I'm giving it a lower rating than it deserves. It's beautifully written but truly overtook my entire summer in terms of reading. The last fifth, in particular, was tough to get through and left a bitter taste in my mouth. 

The main character is an exploration of being stuck between two worlds - being a person of mixed race, working undercover, away from his home country... The book is written entirely from his perspective as an extremely unreliable narrator. Events unfold in largely chronological order, with a detailed scene at the end that, frankly, was not as shocking perhaps for me because, well, I think all women have a very implicit understanding of what happens to women in war. To the point where it felt more gratuitous than impactful. 

As much a psychological drama as it is historical fiction, The Sympathizer feels simultaneously like an important read but also empty. Or perhaps it made me feel empty. I'm glad I read it, but I wouldn't consider it a pleasant experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder