Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Haar by David Sodergren

3 reviews

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I wanted to love this book but it was totally different than what I imagined it to be.

It was kind of like The Shape of Water meets Little Shop of Horrors.

I did love the main character. She's an old widow who is just trying to live in peace but is being bullied into selling her home by a billionaire who wants to bulldoze the town and build a resort, basically.

Then she discovers a creature on the beach and her life changes.

Something I really hated in this book was the cruelty between humans. It was intense and I just can't fathom people behaving this was towards eachother.

Some of the gorey parts were written in a way that was almost comical which felt out of place amongst the generally serious tone of the story.

The ending was fine. I wish things had played out a little different but overall it was fair. There were some parts that were quite clever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Death, Sexual violence, Violence, and Misogyny

Minor: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Gun violence

jaedia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

 This book was great. We follow a lovely old Scottish lady called Muriel who is being harrassed by the Grant Organisation, a company own by an American billionaire who has bought out most of Muriel's little home village by the sea to destroy the landscape and build a golf course. He's your basic Trump/Musk/Murdoch guy who thinks money can buy him everything. Nasty piece of work. All Muriel wants to do is live out the rest of her life in peace, but the machines changing her landscape run day and night and it seems every day, another friend takes the money and leaves. Muriel refuses. And then one day she makes an odd discovery that set the wheels of change into motion...

The Haar is a beautiful story with a lot of gore. It's intense, wondrous, and the perfect length. I will have to check out who of Sodergren's stuff! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Sexual content, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Murder, Misogyny, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Gore, and Animal death

Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Ableism, Classism, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Bullying, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, and Gun violence

franzys_whip's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I cried so much. Such a well written book. Perfectly describes the horrors of aging, loneliness, industrialization, and corruption. Also Avalon was legitimately funny and I will die on that hill. While unexpected for me, I love the direction the ending took!

Also the cover art is by Trevor Henderson???? Literal perfection. Read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, Cursing, Gore, Body horror, Murder, Classism, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexual content

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Dementia, Lesbophobia, and Xenophobia

the minor content warnings are like VERY minor, i just thought they were worth mentioning