Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

40 reviews

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

This was the hardest book to read. It’s up there with 1984 and brave new world. Generally of worlds, I hope don’t become reality. I understand the message and it doesn’t make it any better. It’s actually so sad and essentially avoidable which is horrific. If you enjoy dystopian this is for you but this book genuinely made me sick at some points. Graphic accounts of CP and trafficking. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

hannahkuder's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Genocide, Gore, Sexual violence, Suicide, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

startjpw23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This story is set in a not distant future and is told in 3rd person POV by Snowman (aka his given name Jimmy). There are only 2 other main characters (Crake and Oryx). When the story starts, Snowman is trying to survive after an event took place that appears to have ended civilization. The story alternates between the present and Snowman's life as Jimmy from before the event. It starts in his youth and moves forward to various points in his life before the event. Early on, it is apparent that the society Jimmy grew up in was scientifically advanced, but morally bankrupt. The relationship between Jimmy, Crake, and Oryx is gradually revealed as are the circumstances that led up to the event. This is a really good dystopian novel. I found it very believable as a possible (very scary) future. I didn't really like Jimmy or Crake very much. I liked Oryx more. Despite not liking Jimmy, I still found the story compelling. The story is very disturbing at points. Some children are treated very badly. There are brutal security forces. There are no ethics to the science being done. To many of the scientists, people and animals are viewed the same as lab rats. Corporations run things and profits are all no matter who is hurt. Society is very stratified. This is not a happy book. The book is very well plotted and written. Margaret Atwood only writes the minimum details of the most disturbing scenes so that the reader understands what is going on without being unnecessarily graphic. The only reason I rated the book a little below 5 stars is I didn't feel the ending was very good. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a really good dystopian novel. If the issues I mentioned are things that concern you, you may want to avoid the book. Or at least look at content warnings. Be aware that this is book 1 of 3. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

ellieoopsie's review against another edition

dark 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

Weird book to say you enjoyed given the subject matter. Atwood manages to talk about some of the worst human impluses with a dry humor which stops the on-the-nose commentry from feeling too preachy. The mixture of past and present in the chapters keeps you engaged, wanting to pull the treads and find out what happens. The creation of world is so strong and intriguing, familiar and futuristic. This book made me think of Cat's Cradle and Our Missing Hearts with a tone more aligned with the former. Give the content warnings a squiz before you read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Trafficking

Moderate: Child abuse and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Animal cruelty

kyrabou's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Pandemic/Epidemic

violator's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mybestfriendsarefictional's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

parkbenj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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

3.5

Like many others the only other Margaret Atwood book I have read is Handmaid’s Tale. Unsurprisingly Oryx and Crake is also deeply disturbing, with multiple chapters containing unnecessarily graphic descriptions of the physical and sexual abuse of children. I say unnecessary because I skipped over these scenes and did not feel like I’d missed anything important. Especially as the abused child in question (Oryx) has zero character development and seems to only serve as a plot device to move Jimmy/Snowman’s story forward.
That being said Margaret really is a beautiful writer and as she said of Handmaid’s Tale “nothing went into it that had not happened in real life somewhere at some time.”
I don’t agree with the reviews that say this book is slow and boring, her descriptions and storytelling are truly captivating.
I think this book is worth a read as long as you go in prepared to read many deeply disturbing scenes.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

khurelchuluun's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

I honestly enjoyed it a lot. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

melmellon's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Sexual content, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and War