Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

9 reviews

mxawprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Animal death, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

starryforest's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Spoiler

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i didn’t like the ending, but it was  realistic and dramatic 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, and Violence

hiraeth_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Lesbophobia

paniquemecanique's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious sad 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

4.75

I would have rated it a 4 right after reading it but I just keep coming back to it in my mind. It was long and a bit hard to finish (shout out to my short attention span girlies) but it was a wild and beautiful ride.
This is a historical book based off real facts that takes place in Lapland in the 1800's, about the big european witch hunt, the colonization of the indigenous Sami people, and about a matriarchy. The characters are deep and nuanced and beautiful, and the whole story forces you to be fully there with them in every moment.
KMH is a divine autress who writes so intensely and beautifully, it is very hard not to be haunted by the book (I am writing this months after finishing it and I cant forget the most thrilling parts ).
Absolutely recommended,  but be very mindful of the TW. It is a hard and truthful story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Colonisation, Death, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and Hate crime

lillyrose97's review

emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Torture, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, War, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy

sarahfr1end's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Vomit, Infertility, and Pregnancy

penofpossibilities's review

dark emotional sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Excrement, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Ableism and Homophobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Torture

alonlyfangirl's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Genocide

anarchoduck's review against another edition

medium-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

2.5

I enjoyed the atmosphere and setting of the book, the depiction of the tough life and rough weather on Vardø and the women of Vardø seemed like interesting and fun characters to me. The stories of Maren and Ursa are both in their own ways sad and disturbing but also a little hopeful and I really liked that. 
However, I think it was a questionable choice to almost completely exclude the perspectives of the Sami and not further inform about their culture and marginalisation. In my opinion, Diina should have been a main character and the story should have been told at least partly from her point of view. The way her character is written does slightly reinforce racist stereotypes because it's shown from Maren's and Ursa's perspectives. This story should be about her. 
I didn't particularly love the sapphic relationship aswell. Kerstin and Diina would have been far better love interests. I don't need another white, skinny, assimilated, normatively beautiful sapphic couple. I just don't live for that.

Spoiler

And why does Ursa's sexual trauma doesn't play any role in their sexual interaction?! That's just lazy.

All in all, I don't detest the novel but I can't pretend like I'm not severely disappointed and it just leaves me feeling nothing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder