Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

19 reviews

anxious_jay's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse and Abortion

whiskeywoman79's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

 Fiction / Horror / Mystery / Thriller / Crime / Suspense
⭐⭐⭐/5
TW: SA (graphic once, but mentioned in different ways throughout)

I am not sure what to say about this story. It was creepy. It had its good parts and its bad parts? I was left confused and underwhelmed? I am rather unsure how I feel about it as a whole.
 

 
I feel like the author kept trying to justify inappropriate adult-child relationships. Like the one that was forced was bad, but because the young girl liked the teacher back that one wasn't bad, TF?!! Both shouldn't have happened, and neither should be condoned.
Can we also acknowledge that he was sexually assaulted!! They kept glazing over that Other than when he asked about the accusation made at the church "What he did to you - some people would give that same name."
I have no idea how it won the awards it did.
Will like this if you like Stephen King? For me it is like SCI Fi movies it's the B-rated version of Stand By Me.
I grew up in a small US town in the 1980s, yet I felt so disconnected from the flashbacks, maybe it is a UK v US thing? I never believed they were 80's kids.
I had such high hopes for this read because The Burning Girls is one of my 5-star reads for this year, after DNFing The Drift, and now my experience with this I am starting to think it was a one-off. 

I am using this for a challenge I am just not sure which one yet. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Gore, Dementia, Abortion, and Death of parent

Minor: Car accident

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense

• Loveable characters? No

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cursing, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Suicide, Car accident, Abortion, and Pregnancy

ecahill23's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Abortion, and Pregnancy

killmoore_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This had all the makings for a really great thriller, but man oh man did the ending fall flat for me. 

I was not impressed with the whodunit reveal. I feel like out of all the options we had, all the paths we were led down, this was by far the most disappointing outcome. **I was hoping for it to be our MC, ngl**. There were too many plot holes, and too many quick attempts to plug half of them with more confusion, and the whole plot could have been flushed out a lot more. 

However - The build up was thrilling, and it was a very fun read that kept me hooked from the beginning. A pretty graphic SA scene that I could have lived without, and the dog dies, but enjoyable none the less. I'd pick up more of Tudors work!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

smexy_smerf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

THIS- I CAN'T. I NEED PART TWO  <SPOILER MF> WHAT THIS PSYCHO THIEF DO WITH HER HEAD. HER FUCKING HEAD.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder

wylovat's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Abortion, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, Police brutality, and Death of parent

theknitterwithabook's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

To assume is to make an ass out of "u" and "me".

The novel travels back and forth between 2016 and 1986. It's time for those five friends to uncover the truth.

This was my first novel from C.J. Tudor and I am hooked! This is a thriller you hurry to finish because you have so many questions. I loved that the characters were flawed and they kept "assuming" who did what and who was the killer and then it's thrown in their face they are wrong.

It keeps you second guessing everything! I love theorizing about the ending throughout my reads and I am please to say that I was wrong all along. The author made me believe and avenue right until the end. AND THE ENDING! OMG! I would never have thought that!

It just came short of 5 stars as I feel that some loose ends needed fixing and we were left without answers. But overall, this was a great story! I gasped at some memories of the main character, I flipped through the pages faster than ever and couldn't put the book down.

If you've read the book, please tell me I'm not the only one who thought Eddie was sleep walking and might have killed Elisa during one of those episode. Even after Chloe left, when he wanders in the woods and awake in his bed with his pajamas full of dirt, I was convinced he had sleep walked and killed Chloe. Anyway! I'm glad it wasn't the case. But the head he kept in the end! Gross!! It's made clear that he steals rubbish from everyone, but a head!!! That was too far for me! hahaha!

 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Dementia

Minor: Abortion

emilysaidhello's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abortion

ejr1904's review against another edition

4.25

This is a good book. It is nostalgic with strong character development. The twists and turns dont feel ridiculous or contrived. Its fast paced and engaging. The main character is very odd and the last chapter really disorients the reader but they were more developed than a lot of characters you find in books today. It seemed as important to the author that we know these characters rather than know just the events. Still incredibly gripping though. 

With that in mind, im really repulsed by the slurs littered throughout (really wanted to pay homage to Stephen King I suppose). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death