Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

135 reviews

thesaltiestlibrarian's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.0

 I thought for sure this would be way more intense than it actually was. People talk about this like it's some paramount tale of psychological twisting and horror, but I thought it was mid. Yeah, the animal death is messed up, but all of the other stuff? Saw some of it coming, and some of it was weird folks who live in a small town. As someone who lives in a small town (under 7,000 people), it wouldn't surprise me to have this happen close by. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcohol and Dysphoria

dawnb2403's review against another edition

Far too much animal cruelty and killing for me to stomach anymore! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty

moonmoonsun's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

animal deaths and torture: dogs, rabbits, mice, sheep wasps

refriedreid's review

Way too violent. Turned my stomach

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

ab1gail_g's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

cartimandua's review

challenging dark tense 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

rarityfemme's review

challenging dark medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Note: I don't like giving star ratings as I dont really understand the system. Please forgive the lack of one.

I hate to admit that I enjoyed this book, but I really did.

Its a great horror/thriller read with a lot of very dark plot points and a twist that I wasnt expecting at all. (I am a bit daft though, I'll be the first to admit it)

If you're a sensitive reader I highly recommend thoroughly perusing the trigger warnings, as they'll definitely be needed. 

All in all, if you're someone who can handle dark topics I'd recommend this to you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Body horror and Transphobia

emmastevvenson's review

dark tense fast-paced

4.0

This shit is crazy. I’d be concerned if you’re not at least a little disturbed by this book, however it is intriguing and a good read. I enjoy the unreliable narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

beitidh_flitcroft's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense 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

4.75

horrifically graphic in places, but utterly captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Violence, and Murder

saintgroovy's review

challenging 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

4.5

This is a uniquely dark and detached story, and taking the journey throughout daily life and memory with Frank gives insight into the psychopathic mind. You’ll find yourself confronted with the most monstrous of human behavior, while tackling Franks complete apathy towards his own actions. At times it’s funny how easily Frank justifies doing something terrible, and the roundabout ways he explains the need for cruelty.
I think the themes of gender identity and masculinity lead to such a complicated conclusion, not only for our narrator but for us. Do you hold sympathy for a person who is incapable of feeling any themselves? 
This is a story of both a victim and a perpetrator, who in the end holds no deep feelings about anything at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Torture, Violence, and Dysphoria

I think there’s so much to be said about Frances and how she thinks about herself and how she justifies murdering people with her own victimhood. Ultimately it’s no different than the thousands of reasons she gives us during the book, it’s just the best reason she could have been given. It’s shown over and over that she enjoys herself the most when she’s perceived to be the victim of tragedy, because she gets sympathy without any effort. But in the end- Her father was always as deeply a monster as her, and her brother. What a messed up story, I love how much it’s made me think