Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage

34 reviews

vexatiousbird's review

dark 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

3.25

It does well at depicting escalating abuse and makes it clear why the protagonist doesn’t leave after the early warning signs, and it’s written in a conversational style that makes it a quick read. The protagonist is intentionally unsympathetic to highlight how even unsympathetic people can be victims, but that presents a challenge for the reader. At least for me, the basic sympathy for his suffering and desire for him to escape terrible abusive circumstances didn’t extend to much longer term emotional investment in him as a character in the extended aftermath. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Drug use, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide and Violence

Minor: Incest

haleyapratt's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

2.0

Contains lots of interesting ideas, but we don’t spend enough time with any one character, plot, or theme for them to become fully realized. Oddly, despite quite a bit of graphic content, there was still too much telling rather than showing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

kaseycanread's review

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Torture

klamsc's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual violence

aely's review

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book was extremely depressing. Jonah simply wanted to have a roof over his hand, and what happened to him was truly awful to read.

Parks-Ramage managed to write realistic characters who go through SO much trauma, with a bittersweet ending that left me feeling… complicated.

My only critique would be that the book felt so depressing and hopeless that at times it was very hard to return to the story.

Other than that, the book is a grim cautionary tale about abusive relationships and sexual assault. It was very emotional and well written. I hope that Jonah is able to live happily after the books ends. That is all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Death, Murder, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Blood, Trafficking, Dementia, and Abortion

pierrereads's review

challenging dark sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Violence

ohkaereads's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, and Self harm

Moderate: Torture, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Confinement, and Mental illness

sayitagainjen's review

dark 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Violence, Suicide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

dalmavatai's review against another edition

Ah I usually don't dnf books this far into them but I'm just really not feeling this one. The idea behind the story is really solid: exploring the power dynamics between wealthy, successful, older gay men and young, aspiring, broke gay men and the exploitation and abuse that can happen within those relationships. 

However, I think this book is just poorly executed. The characters and the relationships are not developed well enough for me to believe in them, and the dynamics of an abusive relationship are equally poorly written. It feels like the author read a blog post about Abuse 101 and clumsily inserted every point at random intervals throughout the story. Like, all the dynamics - Jonah gaslighting himself and his experience of abuse, Richard compensating with meaningless shopping sprees after something bad happens - feel disingenuous, insincere; I just wasn't convinced by the author that these characters and relationships are real. They feel very one-dimensional, pawns to illustrate the author's point but lacking in development and depth. 

This is really my main issue with the story but I also wanted to mention that of course it's really important to shed light on how old men can coerce younger men into playing out their BDSM fantasies - but BDSM is not inherently abusive. I think Jonah's daddy issues stemming from his homophobic father and wanting to please both him and God in his deeply Christian family is really interesting and will no doubt resonate with a lot of people's experience, but I think it's important to note that wanting to be dominated in sex is not inherently 'pathological', and even if it stems from mommy/daddy issues, it's still a valid sexual preference and people can engage in BDSM and have it be a healthy dynamic (that doesn't mean that we can't or shouldn't interrogate cultural trends around daddy issues, but it does mean that we shouldn't pathologize individuals with these sexual preferences because that doesn't help anyone). 

Also, if you still want to read this book, please please look into trigger warnings, this book covers very heavy subjects and all the things I listed under 'graphic' content warnings are indeed EXTREMELY graphic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Violence

juliersovis's review

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

1.75

I didn’t expect this book to be so violent. It made it extremely difficult to read at many times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Torture