Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Sarmaşık by Chana Porter

21 reviews

asexualandriod's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Sexual content

The content warnings for drug use and addiction are in reference to the alien lifeforms that are present in the book. They are microscopic, in things like food and water, and their elevated presence exhibits similar symptoms to highs from drugs. The narrative surrounding the aliens is often framed as an addiction.

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Racism, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

The Seep is spoken of as a drug/narcotic.

bookbunnie's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

Read this book if you like your existential crises to be balanced out with sentient pamphlet humor, are interested in the unexpected downsides of a utopia, and are stubbornly holding steadfast to pain. 

Don’t read this book if themes of grief are uninteresting to you, or you don’t like talking bears. 

This is a quick read that made me cry and laugh in turns. I love the tempered optimism of an attainable utopia that still promises personal growth, of a benevolent creature that may know what’s technically best for us but might not always get it right. If speculative fiction is your thing, I would highly suggest this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief

Moderate: Cultural appropriation

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

thetenthmuse's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

An addictive page turner with digestible prose— The Seep constructs a glittering utopia that resembles a mixup of both “Brave New World” and “Annihilation”.

I’d be wrong to say I did not enjoy this book— I did! It was easy going, peppered with just enough touch of surreality as I enjoy. The overall plot was a tad weak, there weren’t really any stakes at all, but that aided in the book’s fast-paced reading. I wasn’t so much a fan of the characters, bar Trina, and all the character’s dialogue felt very jilted — which given the context of the whole alien stuff, I understand, but outside of that it just doesn’t read well to me.

Pick up for a fun, trippy blitz through a post-apocalyptic alien hive mind! I feel like lots of people would enjoy this book as a sort of hidden gem of the eco-alien, surreal horror-ish genre. I just wish I was one of those!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction and Sexual content

Minor: Transphobia

vaniavela's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Drug use

Minor: Transphobia

corvidaeus's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual content

lycheejelly's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol

gcjay1994's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

You ever read one of those books that you make you think, "What the hell did I just read?" Yeah, this is one of those – but in the best possible way. Even after reading the description I had no idea what to expect. This book made me all sorts of uncomfortable, but in a way that was enjoyable...? This is a very gritty, dark and bizarre look at what it means to be human. I highly recommend any sci-fi reader pick up this up!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

lavendl's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Racism, and Sexual content

abitdicier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

A quick, immersive read for the Shirley Jackson fan who will go for some Ted Chiang if their enby beloved reads it aloud to them. RIYL Karen Russell, Carmen Maria Machado, and especially Helen Phillips.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

Minor: Gun violence and Medical content