Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Fire Rush by Jacqueline Crooks

9 reviews

amberinpieces's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Self harm, Slavery, Vomit, and Gaslighting

filuipa's review against another edition

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

4.0

i feel like it was privilege to read this book and get a glimpse of the black community and dub world of London in late 70s, which has led to some youtube trips to listen to the music genres mentioned to understand the picture better, especially how heavily the plot involves music. The last 20 pages were not my favourite ending at all, I could think of so many satisfying, some less pleasant, endings but considering how close this is to the author's experience it's not my story to change.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

qqjj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

2treads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

As a Jamaican reader, having experienced the music and dancehall scene represented here in Crooks' novel, I was captivated. The prose is alive with the riddims and sounds of my country, the movements and tension of the dancehall and the skanking style of my people. 

Not only has she chosen to write this ode to a part of our musical heritage and legend but she has infused it with scenes of Black life in England that have been passed down in stories by families and friends.

Yamaye as a character is recognizable and I empathize with her. She loved and lost and then had to fight to emerge from a very predatory and violatory relationship in which she was seeking a safe place. The aid and welcome she found in Jamaica warmed my heart and I could see her strength emerging. 

I can see how the reverb and bass heavy prose might throw some readers, but coming from the island where our patwa is steeped in expressions like these, especially when one is surrounded by music and musicality just made this read even more special to me. I' jus' mek sense.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual content, and Violence

katarinabee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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? No

4.25

This was fantastic to read as an audiobook - I loved hearing patois spoken aloud by Leonie Elliot, and the excerpts of music that sometimes played in the background created so much atmosphere and context. I loved how embodied and powerful music was in this book - almost to the point that Yamaye's descriptions of music at times felt like magic realism. I also really liked the concept of how history isn't in the past - it's always embedded in the present, and continuing to reverberate alongside our lives. Occasionally the plot lost a bit of steam and felt a little disjointed - but overall I  thought this book was great, and can't wait to see what Jacqueline Crooks writes next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

katewhite77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This is a book you feel and hear as much as read.

Yammaye is first generation British Caribbean. This novel charts the racism and police brutality, a back drop to life that forced people into to dark corners to find a sense of belonging. It is also a testament as to the lengths some women will go to to survive.

There is a Fire Rush inside us all. We just have  to find it. 

I particularly recommend the audio edition of this novel as it includes music which brings the narrative to life further. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Slavery

bookish_worm's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Self harm and Grief

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.0

Insight of Police institutional racism & how organised crime groups exploit people that are vulnerable due to not having life opportunities. Sadly true.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

mjscooke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I received an advanced digital reading copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Part love letter to music, part lament on grief, Fire Rush follows Yamaye through her descent into the soundscape of club nights in the crypt, to the dark criminal world of Bristol & the even darker depths her of grief and rage. There is a lot to like about this story and how it threads together a devoted passion to music as a way to escape emotions and dull the pain of circumstances. I struggled to read it though. I was only really invested in the one character who absence is the catalyst for the journey and felt like the aspects I enjoyed were rushed. I can see how this mimics the character journey though and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the music scene, and emotional tales. Be sure to check out content warnings online before diving in though as there are many heavy topics and scenes that could be very triggering.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Grief

Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Murder, and Toxic friendship