Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

102 reviews

whyohchai's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

So much about this story was very original and engaging, I loved reading black horror rooted in folk horror. Throughout the book, I found myself trying to find out what was happening and who was causing it. My only issue is I found the ending really unsatisfying and

the parts of the book and ending that swerved sharply into surrealism and full supernatural were both difficult passages to read and also left me unsure what the book was trying to say.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

kurumipanda's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Racism, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Rape, and Alcohol

haleea's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, and Kidnapping

tayliie's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

3.5

This book covers some important struggles that Black people (specifically, Black women) face in America. I thought the content of this book was important to have represented in media. My only complaints is that some of the dots were just not connecting for me when we got down to the "who dun it?" part of the book and I kind of wished the author took some more time to tie in the Egyptian mythology side of this story. The pacing was a little inconsistent to me. 

However, all things considered, this is an excellent debut novel! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Hate crime, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Kidnapping

babynatalie's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

Amazing read. Couldn't put the book down. Great writing. Super engaging story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Sexual assault

clarkg's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Overall, I found this book to be a pretty compelling thriller with a decent twist ending. It's explorations or race, class, gender, and the geography and topography of the land were unlike anything I have read before and I valued Erin Adams' unique creative vision. That said, some moments felt heavy-handed and trope-y, which took me out of it a bit. Even with that caveat, I would still recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol

marinnelilly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

zgreyz's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking and Murder

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Vomit, and Trafficking

natofthecreeps's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

Jackal is a thriller with a definitive message and point of view. What begins as a pretty straight forward mystery blooms into something much larger and much more meaningful, and the novel truly shines when it is tackling head-on themes of racism, community, and personal growth. Our main character Liz is well-rounded and has a very clear path of growth throughout the novel, not something always seen in mystery-thrillers, and this makes the story very personal and emotional. Adams really does a great job of frustrating readers and imbuing much of this story with the sort of crazed helplessness Liz is feeling, and I think that really adds to the racial commentary in this story -- it's impossible to not be angry at the gaslighting and micro-aggressions that Liz is uncovering and faced with.

The ending here is sure to be polarizing and reminded me of Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey in terms of the melding of trauma and the supernatural. I didn't mind this, and it led to a good reveal near the book's end, but it did feel a little incomplete.

My main critique of this book is that while certain aspects of it are really well done and Adams has filled this book with excellent descriptions and is able to keep things in suspense, the plot itself feels a little clunky. Liz's internal monologue is a bit redundant at the book's start, and when we get to the parts of the novel that start unpacking some of the town's and Liz's personal secrets, I feel like we're left wanting. There's many loose threads, and I don't know if they're tied up in the most effective way at the story's end.

Overall though, this was inventive and moving, and that cover art is just gorgeous.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racism, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Domestic abuse

calamitydane's review

dark emotional mysterious

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

5.0

I was in love from the jump. This is a wonderful mystery and an honest depiction of a black girl growing up in a mostly white southern town. I spent the whole time trying to guess who could have done it. There were so many potentials with good evidence to support them. I was texting my partner with guesses and reasons every five minutes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail