Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage

37 reviews

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

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

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

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

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

kwarnimont's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

This was a hard read. 100% check the content warnings before giving it a go. I thought it was well written and (unfortunately) very easy to visualize what's going on. Tons of great conversation about consent and classism that unfortunately didn't have a satisfying ending. Just heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Classism

shereadytoread's review

dark tense fast-paced

1.5

Where this book really failed me was the classification as a "thriller" and in some places I've seen it categorized as "an erotic thriller". This book is a very specific delve into conversion therapy, sexual explotation of poor gay men, and conflicting religious beliefs. 

First trigger warnings: this book is FILLED and very frequent sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse. I would estimate there was 1.5/10+ sexual scenes that were openly consensual. It is the premise of almost the entire story. There is also exploration of conversion therapy, homophobic families/churches and financial abuse. 

Those trigger warnings are why this story being marketed as a "thriller" is completely wrong to me. This book very explicitly explores how a man uses financial abuse to entrap a man that has already been sexually abused in the past. Nothing about this is "thrilling". There are no plot twists. It is a straightforward horrific story. There was nothing I didn't expect and spent time trying to figure out, other than how this terrible abuse would be resolved. I'm not sure how any of this is "thrilling". It is compelling, gritty, and it is fast-paced. I read it in one sitting (partially because if I put it down, I doubt I would have picked it up again). It makes callbacks to #MeToo in some ways I won't really explain because they are spoilers, but I think it missed the mark.

Disclaimer: I received a free finished copy from the publisher.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Violence

lozzamwright's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Full of twists and turns
Dark, covers a lot of issues- rape, abuse, religion and sexuality, financials and relationships.
Would have liked a little more closure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Violence

kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition

4.0

Times I said, "what the f**k??????" - like a billion. this book is f**ked. This poor MC when through so much, and this thriller takes you on a wild rider from beginning to end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Violence and Blood

mothreadsbookssometimes's review

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt

cherryblossomreads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Jeg har ikke så mange ord om den her endnu, men jeg var fanget og fastholdt, rørt og ødelagt, så noget har den da gjort.

Den beskrives dog som en historie, hvor et 'idyllic' forhold mellem Jonah og Richard ændrer sig til noget mørkt, men jeg følte ærligt aldrig at det var godt mellem dem, og et ødelagde lidt starten af historien for mig.

Men den er voldsom. Virkelig voldsom. Læs CW og TW (Content og Trigger Warnings) inden, du går i gang, hvis du vil være forberedt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Suicide and Classism