Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Jackal by Erin E. Adams

7 reviews

brittgeorge's review

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

Achingly beautiful writing. There’s an entire universe to explore inside this story about Johnstown, but what a ride this was! Especially the final 40 pages; I nearly held my breath arriving at the conclusion.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, and Gaslighting

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

---

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

mynameisrebecca's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying and Police brutality

Minor: Rape

laguerrelewis's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

Jackal was a powerful read, offering both an engaging thriller tale and a rumination on Black womanhood in predominantly white spaces. Adams’ writing is dripping in atmosphere, and Liz is a protagonist I cared for immensely. The mystery elements were surprising and kept me on my toes until its very satisfying conclusion, and the tension really builds in a way that keeps pages turning while still allowing for reflection and rumination. A perfect read for a chilly Halloween!

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Rape, Sexual content, and Vomit

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Racism, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

odylics's review

dark emotional mysterious 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

If you have ever heard "if you see something in the woods, no you didn't" or "if something calls your name, ignore it" OR if you like spooky books, Appalachian myths, murder mysteries, and honest looks at race and class... This book is for you. I have never read a book quite like this or fell for a protagonist quite like Liz. 

Please be sure to check the TWs. This book was uncomfortable and sad and scary, but necessary for the horror/thriller space. It centers around Johnstown, PA and the long reach of the Johnstown Flood, which I had never heard of before despite it resulting in the deaths of 2,208 people, with much of the blame placed at the feet of Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick, and and Andrew Mellon. The flood left physical lines of separation between classes and races in Johnstown, all connected by the woods and the disappearance of the many young Black girls at the heart of this story.

5/5 stars!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

remie's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Eating disorder and Alcohol