Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

87 reviews

caitgreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Incredible and intense. Jemisin writes in a sprawling (yet tightly connected) way, such that every piece feels so purposeful. I've never read a book quite like it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Pregnancy

kri13's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

coatpocketcreature's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, and War

tayindago's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Rape, Cannibalism, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

anniehayez's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I really can’t put my thoughts into words other than to say this is a perfect book. I think this is the most unique, intricate, heartbreaking and awe inspiring story I’ve ever read. A true masterpiece.  (Please see content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt

epbuckley89's review against another edition

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing, Genocide, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

crybabybea's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Astoundingly inventive world and magic system with a post-apocalyptic flair, morally gray and diverse characters who you can't help but root for, simple yet beautifully descriptive writing, and filled with so much intrigue and mystery that it's hard not to devour the book hundreds of pages at a time. The story is at times weighed down by the mass amount of world-building required to set it up, but information is presented in a fresh and compelling way. The book is told from three perspectives which leads to a dramatic snowball effect into an explosive ending with one of the best cliffhangers I've ever read.

Incredible, incredible first in a truly imaginative series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder

species10026's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia

glitterdeww's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Knowing how much praise it's garnered since it's debut, I have felt intimidated by The Fifth Season for years now. I am INCREDIBLY glad that I finally read it! What this book accomplishes is outstanding. The commentary on life and death, ages ending and beginning - Resurrection, and what that looks like from the smallest of instances to the grandest of scale - is truly and utterly brilliant. She portrays a world of classism and racism that is EQUALLY fantastic and believable that will gut you in it's heartbreaking reality.

Beyond Jemisin's incredible world and character development (which, if you know you know, omg! Lol) I found the structure of the story, from first page to last, to be remarkable. I'm fairly certain that if I was not told how well done this book was, I may not have dug into every scene to the extent that I did upon first go through. But goddamnit lol I cannot get over the level of precision in her story structure. The breadcrumbs she leaves... The explanation and then LACK of explanation to guide the reader into drawing those conclusions... The crafting is perfection. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cannibalism

emily_journals's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional slow-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the writing, I loved the unique storytelling; I can't really think of anything about this book that I didn't love. This book is told from 3 (kind of 4) different storylines that center on different characters. There are 3 mains storylines being rotated out for most of the book, but the prologue, interludes, and some of the last chapter are all told from a different perspective. The characters in this book are so complex and so uniquely developed and all of the characters in each of the different storylines are all equally developed and interesting. I think the writing of this book is really what stands out the most to me. The way this book is written with the 3 different storylines alongside the omniscient narrator giving hints and clues with the prologue and interludes is so brilliantly done and I've never read another book that does storytelling in this same way before. This book also just has such a cool premise that I personally am so intrigued by, but you don't really learn the premise of the world until the very ending of the book (although it is hinted at earlier) which I think is such a good way to do world building. I very highly recommend this book, but definitely be sure to check trigger warnings for this one because there's a lot of trauma/grief happening in this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Minor: Transphobia, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic