Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Carrie by Stephen King

14 reviews

rfish0615's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie, was one of my spooky reads for 2024 and it did not disappoint. I have been meaning to read Carrie for a long time, and for one reason or another had just never gotten around to it. I’ve loved other novels by King (as I think we all do) and this one was no different. I thought that it was succinct, with a level of horror that didn’t need to overdo it to spark unease. I liked the perspective changes and inclusion of news clippings for reference points as well, even though this is something I don’t normally enjoy. While I didn’t love Carrie as much as I loved Misery (still my favorite King novel to date), this book is absolutely worth the read, and will leave you on the edge of your seat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Blood, Abortion, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

nasab's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

أول تجربة حقيقية لي في تصنيف الرعب وأول تجربة لي مع ستيفن كينج. شجعني حجم الكتاب كونه لا يتعدى الثلاثمئة صفحة.
لم تكن لدي فكرة مسبقة عن الرواية، أو هذا ما ظننته حتى قرأت الصفحات الأولى وتذكرت وصف صديقتي المشوش لأحداث الفيلم المقتبس من الرواية قبل حوالي عشر سنوات عندما كنا في الصف المتوسط لقتل الملل أثناء المحاضرة التوعوية في المدرسة ☺️ ذاكرتي لا تكون بهذه القوة عندما أحتاجها فعلًا، ولكن لم تتأثر تجربتي لأن الكاتب نفسه كان يحرق الأحداث بين الحين والآخر.
أسلوب الرواية في عرض مقتطفات من جرائد وأخبار وكتب خيالية راقت لي جدًا وعززت من اندماجي.
لدي مشكلة الترجمة، هي لم تخطئ المعنى ولكنها لم تكن سلسة تمامًا بالنسبة لي ووجدت قراءة النسخة الإنجليزية أسهل، ولا أعرف ما السبب بالضبط.
نأتي للقصة،

بالرغم من معرفتي المسبقة بما سيحدث كنت لا أزال خائفة وأتمنى أن تنقلب الأحداث لصالح بطلتنا. 
كاري قد تبدو شريرة في ظل أحداث الحفل المدرسي وعدد القتلى والمصابين الناتجين عن أفعالها التدميرية، لكني لم أستطع منع نفسي من دعمها في انتقامها، والرغبة في أن تُلحق المزيد من الأذى على من تنمروا عليها. يبدو من العدل أن تمتلك هذه القوى المتفجرة لتسوية الأمور معهم، ولكنه من المؤسف أيضًا أن الأذى النفسي الذي واجهته يساوي الأذى الجسدي الذي عرضتهم له.
موقف سو سنيل الأخلاقي مهم جدًا لعرض التخبط الذي يشعر به الإنسان عند التوفيق بين المبادئ الشخصية والرغبة في الاندماج مع المجتمع. سو سنيل لم تكن لتتنمر على كاري من تلقاء نفسها ولكن رغبتها في إرضاء كريس (الشخص المهيمن في المجموعة) جعلتها فردًا من القطيع منعدم الرأي إلى أن استيقظ ضميرها وأدركت ما تفعله وتقوله. سو ندمت حقًا ورغبت بالتكفير عن خطئها بالطريقة الوحيدة التي تؤكد لها صدق ندمها. لم ترضى بعقاب المعلمة فقط حتى لا تخسر تذكرة الحفل، بل عوقبت وتنازلت عن الحضور بإرادتها. موقف سو سنيل يعطي أملًا بأن الإنسان يستطيع التغير للأفضل.

لم أتوقع أن تؤلمني رواية رعب بهذا الشكل العميق، شعرت بعدم الراحة طوال القراءة

سوى في مقاطع قصيرة من السعادة اللحظية التي عاشتها كاري قبل أن يتشوه كل شي في الحادثة التي هدت السد المتهالك الذي أقامته وأدت إلى فيضان الغضب الذي دمرها وجرف كل شيءٍ في طريقها.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism, Abortion, and Pregnancy

hiddenfallacies's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Carrie is a landmark achievement in horror for many reasons. It's the start of King's long and celebrated career, a novel that centers around women and places their pain at the epicenter of its plot, and it created a cultural memory that endures to this day - one that empathizes with Carrie rather than demonizes her. Told over three parts that function as three long chapters, the novel tells Carrie's story in retrospect through a collection of articles, interviews, and varying point of views. Going through the past, present, and future of the ill-fated prom night, the reader gets to know Carrie and all she has endured. Above all else, this novel is a tragedy about Carrie White's last hope to become a person and the ways in which society crushed that dream.

The first of the three parts suffers the most, lacking the natural momentum and masterful framing that surrounds the prom night itself and its aftermath in the story. This fact alone is what keeps this novel from garnering five stars for me. The novel is also littered with the artifact of being King's first, lacking some of the grammatical and structural prowess he cultivated over time. It's also important to note that there's a fair bit of racism present throughout the novel, dropped in small phrases and cultural references that leave the modern reader wondering if King meant to include them to indicate moral failings of certain antagonists or the time period itself, or if he simply was ignorant of certain biases he held himself. I believe informing potential readers of this is crucial, as I was blindsided by their sporadic inclusion while reading, taking me out of the story.

Although King has published better novels, as well as worse, I believe Carrie deserves a space not only on an essential reading list for King, but for horror as a whole. It remains culturally significant and moving to this day. May Carrie White never be forgotten. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Grief, Abortion, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Pregnancy

gemgem44's review against another edition

dark sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, and Abortion

_grace_c_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This book is great; it's the novel that then gave us one of the greatest authors of our time.
All 242 pages are flawless; The story is about a girl who has some supernatural powers and the journey into High schools of the 60s and the religious mindsets around that time. Her limit is reached, causing her to use her powers to seek her revenge against her bullies, and ultimately everyone in her wake. This book makes you feeling many emotions and my heart broke for the abuse and sheltered life Carrie had to endure. The flow of the book is gripping; from the story telling of the events and the snippets of interviews and articles that followed 'Prom Night'. I was sucked in from the first page and read in the in 2 sittings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lorzo's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

macabrebookwitch's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I haven’t read really any horror novels before, so thus begins my goal of reading every stephen king book in release order. As it’s the first book, I was a little underwhelmed. I also didn’t expect to feel so bad for Carrie,

honestly like getting me to think the town deserved it. Or at least, her bullies and mother did.

I want to watch the movies now, but I’m cutting King some slack since I know its the first one. The religious trauma is strong in this one. I also feel like there are some questionable phrases and themes in this book (although I know it takes place and was written in the 70s, its not much excuse). But I trek ever onward through King’s bibliography. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

eva_rebolledo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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? Yes

2.75

Not necessarily bad, just gets boring at times. Reading Stephen King in English as a non-native speaker was.. an experience?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death

Minor: Animal death, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol

roadesntoades's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment