Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

13 reviews

phou's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, Sexual assault, and Child abuse

Moderate: Pedophilia and Death

Minor: Misogyny

beatriks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book is great, a family story, mysterious, dark, light, beautifully written, great twists, good jumps in timelines, overall great storytelling.

A great story about the sh*t women have to deal with in this world built by weak and violent men. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Stalking

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, and Misogyny

jayjm94's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

It’s a beautifully written, emotional novel about love, marriage, family, violence and a very old beach home. I read it in about 24 hours, I couldn’t put it down from the first line. With that said the plot is winding, tense, and brutal at times. I never felt like the upsetting scenes were overwrought though. The main character is flawed and makes a series of choices throughout the novel that ultimately come to make perfect sense. The ending is ambiguous, but I enjoyed it and felt it was earned.  To read this book in a beach house or even on a lake would be divine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Ableism, Blood, Cancer, Death, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Moderate: Incest, Child abuse, Child death, and Cursing

Minor: Mental illness and Murder

amberelizabeth7's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.75

On one hand, I devoured this in mostly one sitting, finding the pace and writing style really engaging.
On the other hand, one timeline is utterly horrific, and the other is 24 hours with some decisions made by adults. The pace was great between the two timelines and it was well crafted and told, but I felt the more interesting long term timeline didn’t come to conclusion in the present day timeline and I felt like the good writing and character development had slightly tricked me into not realising the plot of the present day story that feels like the main one didn’t really go anywhere. 

Spoiler

It seems intended that finding out that Conrad didn’t just rape Elle excuses Elle and Jonas of their complicity in Conrad’s death, and relieves them of their guilt to be together. I don’t particularly buy that, and therefore it feels like I was told all of this history for it not really to be relevant to Elle and Jonas just finally having the courage to admit to themselves and one another how they really feel. That happening also doesn’t feel like a reasonable conclusion to the long timeline of Elle, especially with it left open.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Child death, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Rape, and Misogyny

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Infertility

This book includes significant description and discussion of child abuse, sexual assault inc. rape, and child death. It at times references suicide, sometimes insensitively.

noraconradcom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Abandonment, Rape, Grief, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Incest, Misogyny, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Child death

franklola's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Classism, Cancer, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

sweetchocolatez's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Infidelity, Grief, Cursing, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Incest, Fatphobia, Death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Misogyny, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Cancer and Chronic illness

Minor: Abortion and Adult/minor relationship

bethaniethebeast's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Miranda Cowley Heller is an excellent writer, but sometimes this book was "prose-y" to the point of reminding me that I'm reading a book. I don't like the characters but I understand them and relate to them. This book does an excellent job of exploring generational trauma, but I have to say HUGE trigger warning for child abuse and SA, that fully caught me off guard. Overall was an interesting read and I recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Child death, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

bail33's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, Murder, Infidelity, Grief, Death, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

Moderate: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Cursing, and Cancer

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Misogyny

rapidtra5h's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Misogyny, Infidelity, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Death, and Child death