Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

Carrie by Stephen King

11 reviews

hiddenfallacies's review against another edition

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

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

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: Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, and Bullying

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

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

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

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

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

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, Religious bigotry, and Blood

Moderate: Death

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

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

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

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

fourslicesoftoast's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Abortion, Cursing, and Death of parent

Minor: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

louu's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I had a blast reading this. The way it is narrated is on point. There's nothing to spare. I loved carrie, my baby did nothing wrong, ever. The world building? Great, with that ending. Sue Snell? Also my baby. No, this is not a serios review. I loved every part of this story. It was so graphic in my mind, i felt I was watching a movie. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Blood

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion

konstantina's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Carrie has a lot of messages behind it. Religious fanatism, misogyny, bullying, and it could be considered a critique on religion (i.e. Christianity) and on bullying, but, at the end of the day, it remains a classic among horror novels, and I'm sure it would have shocked me if I was reading it in the '70s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Child abuse, Violence, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Blood and Murder

Minor: Abortion, Car accident, and Sexual content