Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

11 reviews

emsavors's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

This book is absolutely incredible! I’m not entirely sure that I find the ending believable, but given how good the rest of the book is - I don’t even care!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

little_lida's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Abandonment

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

balkanbruiser's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

Yet another generational trauma book to the list :]. It's really concrete in the way it wants to make you feel considering it's from the POV of the main character or other side characters. But there is room for judgement, both of the characters and the author. 
Either way, the book is a pretty fast read, chapters flowing from one to the other and the overall tone is dark. Yet hopeful too, in a sense. 
Many times I had to stop and breathe due to the unfairness of situations, but there were not many moments of outright bitterness. The author was really clever in the way he solved problems, too! Also, expect a lot of pointing at the screen and reliving moments of your childhood in the East.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, and Torture

sas_ram's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Review might follow soon 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

katiechasingchapters's review

dark tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Sexual assault

elisestewart's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Torture

Child serial killer with graphic descriptions

reubend1ca9's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

angelakay's review against another edition

Too much torture & child killing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Moderate: Child death

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War

eli_ff's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed it! Very dark and twisted but also exactly what you want from a thriller. I loved Raisa's character the most, and a great insight to what it was like in 1950s Soviet Russia, particularly with the moral questions faced by a Secret Service agent and those close to him.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Torture, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia

Minor: Rape