Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

32 reviews

jessi825grace's review against another edition

adventurous funny inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Cursing

dowleyrachel's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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? No

4.0

I really didn’t know what I’d think about this book! I often dislike books where the protagonist has to steel themselves emotionally to fit into high society. But I think Brown did a great job writing Darrow’s internal monologue. He thus far has not lost his sense of self or where he came from. 

I’m waffling on how I feel about the cadence of the book and its intended audience. These characters are teenagers but they feel like adults. The transformation of Darrow in the beginning is quite graphic too. In terms of cadence, it felt a little quick which wasn’t what I was expecting but I think I liked? It seemed that once Darrow set his mind on taking a fortress, they’d implement the plan within a chapter or so. It kept the book riveting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence

driedmintleaves's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Like the hunger games but if the MC was actually the most confident sort-of-idiot ever. Sort of homestuck. Very fun.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Genocide, and Colonisation

melist6's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual harassment

insideunder's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A vivid young adult sci-fi dystopian novel with interesting world building and a main character who absolute goes through it. I like Darrow, especially since he has a character flaw - rage - that I find cathartic and relatable. His anger makes him impulsive and passionate, and gets him in trouble as much as it helps him. The performance of this audiobook elevated the story for me by at least one star. Wasn't sure I'd care for another War School story, but this one managed to have enough new and interesting ideas to keep me on my toes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement and Cannibalism

shaletalon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Cannibalism

margarcia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Rape, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, and War

persychan's review against another edition

adventurous

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

 2,5 perchè si sentono tutti i loro anni e perchè il setting è tutto tranne che scifi, anche se finge di esserlo.

Il libro nel suo insieme è godibile, ben scritto e ha delle scene di azione incalzante, ma ha due grandi scogli.

La misoginia e omofobia casuale, che mentre in parte è giustificata dal "la società è terribile", è frequentemente anche figlia di "l'autore non sa scrivere i personaggi femminili ed esistono solo per essere belle, essere soggette a violenza sessuale o morire".
Eo è il più grande esempio di fridging dalla creazione del trope stesso (e c'è una seconda donna morta minore nel background di Darrow, nel caso non fosse abbastanza la moglie morta), ma anche le "badass" sono principalmente definite dal loro essere belle, piuttosto che qualunque altra cosa. E lo stesso LI che dovrebbe essere una tosta e fichissima, finisce per dover essere salvata 2 volte mentre è impossibilitata a fare nulla (compreso di rischio di stupro).

Ah sì, la quantità di violenza sessuale, grazie a dio non descritta, è assolutamente gratuita. Ma la tortura "normale", no eh? Poi ovviamente vittime solo donne.
Ah, la bellezza del ricco worldbuilding del futuro.

Superato questo, il secondo scoglio è che il setting ha pochissimo senso nel contesto scifi se ti fermi a pensarci cinque minuti e avrebbe funzionato meglio o da fantasy o da più vicino nel tempo cyberpunk/distopia. Soprattutto le tempistiche risultano bizzarre perchè sono almeno 500 che la loro società funziona così, nonostante siano sull'orlo di una guerra civile politica di faide ad ogni ricambio generazionele perchè è un sistema, volutamente, costruito per dare vita a suddette faide di sangue tra le famiglie al potere.
Come non si siano ancora cannonneggiate quando al potere c'è gente con PTSD grosso come delle case, addestrati alla violenza e con rancori e vendette in ogni famiglia, il tutto mentre l'intero sistema di caste sembra reggersi sul nulla se non vaga violenza (perchè ha sempre funzionato per tenere in piedi un reggime per secoli oh yeah), è un mistero divino.

Leggero il resto? Se lo trovo usato e se ho modo di leggerlo, come questo, facendo commenti sarcastici con gli amici. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Classism

Minor: Homophobia, Cannibalism, and War

ladystardust1979's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Cannibalism

mirandyli's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book is Brave New World meets Hunger Games, with way more oppression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism