Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Dark Horses by Susan Mihalic

15 reviews

dlperin's review

challenging dark tense medium-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? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

dizzzybrook's review

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

katey_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

This was so hard to read, and yet, I couldn't put it down. I was desperately rooting for Roan in every moment, unsure what would happen next. It's horrifying, and I can't necessarily say I liked or enjoyed this book, because every second of it was gut-wrenching. But it's incredibly well-written and emotional, and I'd recommend it to anyone who has the emotional bandwidth to read it. Look up all the trigger warnings before. picking this one up, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

ms_emily's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

pollyhall's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

dosxhime's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? No

4.5

Dark Horses really was up there for darkest books I read so far. 

The abuse Roan suffered from her family was all too real and it made her circumstances all the more tragic. Here only real hope was Jasper, Will, and horseback riding. There was very little for her to look forward to in the face of her father's abuse, however her growth was satisfying and cathartic to read. I cheered when she cut her hair and called her father out for what he is. 

I will say that the romance aspect was a little meh. It kinda just felt like they were there and treted each other decently/normally and that was why Will and Roan fell for each other. The resolution between Roan and her father wasn't as satisfying as I thought it would be since it kind of felt half-assed I guess. He doesn't get ruined in the way that I hoped. 

Anyways, Roan's growth was impeccable and is really the bread-n-butter of this novel. 

4.5 / 5 A- 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment

deezy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

shelby1994's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

 

I read an NPR interview with Mihalic where she said: 

“I became obsessed with the idea of writing a story about sexual abuse that was different from anything that had been written before.” 

Yet, the last several years we have seen: 

- The Larry Nassar trial 

 - The abuse in the NSWL 

- The US Figure Skating payout after a coach was charged with sexual assault 

- The sexual assault lawsuit that rightfully took down the several NHL coaching legends 

- and more and more and more 

I don’t know if something can be considered “never been written before” if we are seeing it played out in front of us. Just this week, a cross-country coach in the county next to mine was charged after sexually harassing and threatening one of his teenage athletes. 

The writing itself is bracing, and Mihalic is able to convey the process of mental blocking and compartmentalization in a way completely specific to Roan. The location of Middleburg, VA made this of added interest – there’s always some rubber-necking when a dark story takes place in the area you live, and I’m not immune to that. But the quality of writing can’t quite make up for how she chooses to show the abusive relationship between Roan and her coach-father. There is realistic, then there is gratuitous, and this book leans too close to the latter for me.  

I think that a more productive way to interact with this type of story is to take the fictional element out of it. Read the victim statements from the Larry Nassar trial. Or Chanel Miller’s writing. Or any statement out by a female athlete in the last decade. They didn’t have a say in how their particular “story of abuse” played out, and it seems like those are the stories we should be paying attention to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

happiestwhenreading's review

I am not a sensitive reader and dark subject matter does not bother me. That's why it speaks volumes that this is a dnf for me, and honestly, I wish I wouldn't have ever picked it up at all!

I knew heading in that it dealt with incest (father/daughter relationship) and pedophilia. I felt like I could handle it. But the manner in which the author handles this inapporpriate relationship was a no-go for me. I felt like she was almost glorifying it. Making it seem like it's ok, even though it's not. 

Instead of listening to my instincts, I kept going. When Roan begins to develop a sexual relationship with a peer, Mihalic implied that certain sexual acts were off-limits because then she wouldn't be 'daddy's girl' anymore. I think the point of this was to show how mentally difficult it is for a child to separate the acts with her father to the outside world, but it literally made me sick to my stomach. It didn't come across to me as a tragedy; it felt more like sympathy and that was when I realized this book is a total dealbreaker for me.

I'm disappointed in it's 3.99 Goodreads rating. I cannot understand the reviews that are saying it's a good book despite the content.

I would not recommend this for anyone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Gaslighting

bethann's review

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma