Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup

61 reviews

jennamalena's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Torture, Car accident, Child abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Pedophilia

pausbookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Sexual assault

daybreakreads's review against another edition

This book is awful. It's repeatedly and unnecessarily greusome, graphic, and violent. Essentially all male characters have violent sex fantasies to the point where I googled the author. He’s a self/described sadist and masochist according to his interview with a UK news agency and gets a thrill “playing God” by writing his characters. This is disgusting given the repeated mutilation, torture, and r*pe mentions. I’ve read 20+ thrillers this year, but this was just downright distasteful.

There were also a large number of negative references made against Arabs and Muslims. At first I thought it was to give context to the characters’ terrible personalities, but there was another time that was just pure narration. One person asked another a question, and the question was described being, “as riddled with mines as a supply road in the Middle East.”

Honestly, as a Muslim, I don’t care if this author doesn’t like us (I certainly would not feel comfortable being alone with him or having him around any children I know) but it didn’t affect the plot in the slightest, so it seemed strange to be constantly added.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Murder, Physical abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Child death, and Blood

Minor: Confinement, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

theoceanrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, and Blood

Moderate: Murder and Death

Minor: Child abuse and Kidnapping

shh_fbi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Rape

kendrac_117's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Infidelity, Infertility, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Violence, Torture, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Mental illness, and Murder

clarabooksit's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Murder, Rape, Child death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Violence, Kidnapping, Body horror, Racism, Sexism, Misogyny, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Torture, Alcoholism, Stalking, Mental illness, and Gore

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

fletcher146's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

rooster_13's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

kyra_joy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

When I first looked at the size of this book I was like that’s a lot of pages but I sat down and finished it in one sitting. It was gripping and I didn’t want to put it down, any thrillers or mysteries I read after this will have big boots to fill. 

The characters were all pretty typical of your classic CSI/ criminal minds show but more enjoyable as the length of it allowed for so much for detail. 

I always enjoy reading books set in other parts of the world so I really loved it for that aspect.

And the mystery in my opinion really caught me off guard! I am normally pretty good at figuring out endings but this one was a complete surprise. 

Definitely will be reading more from this author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Confinement, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Torture, Violence, Domestic abuse, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape