Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Old Man's War by John Scalzi

20 reviews

chigh's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

3.0

I started reading Scalzi with Starter Villain, which I loved it's hilarious, light-hearted, supervillain story. To see if I liked Scalzi's writing further, I decided to go with  the Old Man's War series. I'm not sure that was a good decision. That statement is not a reflection upon this book. 

It's a pretty good book. I at least superficially liked the characters with in it. I'm not one to overly like war/military stories, but I did choose to read it). I didn't like the Full Metal Jacket cliché of "boot camp". But I did like the story of taking "elderly" people and giving them new life and putting them in new situations. I would like to have seen more, intentionally diverse characters in main roles and more interactions between them rather than battle scenes. Perhaps it's what they've been through that makes the characters, but we'll never know because it wasn't written that way. 

Because this series name is the same as this book, if it continues with nothing but war and battle, I may lose interest. I'd prefer conflict of a different nature.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

2.0

This is my second book by John Scalzi and I’m beginning to think that they are not the author for me.  Their humor makes me cringe in secondhand embarrassment and I’m pretty sure it is not meant to have that effect.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

katy_bee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Scalzi has become one of my go-to authors for good easy reads. This one has echoes of the Forever War and there's a fair amount of the inhumanity of war but it's lighter in tone with more humour. I just enjoy being along for the ride

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and Grief

eliaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious reflective sad 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? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Cannibalism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic

walidad's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Murder, and War

thegobetween's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Gore

ahab_jr's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Violence, and War

Minor: Gore

piikasmalls's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Genocide, Gore, Medical content, and Murder

trisha_clay's review

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Rape

aely's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content and Grief