Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Little Star by John Ajvide Lindqvist

4 reviews

pineconek's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

The twists! The turns! The dark scandinavian vibes! The detachment in descriptions of violence!

I don't want to spoil too much, so I'll say this: Little Star is the story of two girls. One of them is found as a newborn in the woods and is raised in... questionable conditions. The other grows up as the youngest sibling in a comfortable nuclear home. Both have an affinity for music and poetry. Both have curious perceptions of morality. Both know that they are little, and the big people of the world will gobble them up.

I read this in about three sittings and generally found it hard to put down. The rhythm of the book is odd - fast paced when we meet one of our protagonists, and then a slow burn when the second comes into play. It was impossible for me not to be sucked into the dynamic of "obsessor" and "object of obsession". And there were many "I... can't believe the author went there" moments in this book, which is something I love.

If violence, disturbing expressions of sexuality, and people generally doing horrible things are not your cup of tea, stay away. But if you loved Let The Right One In and are looking for more of "two creepy children feed each other's worst instincts" then you'll absolutely love this. 4.25 stars on tSG, rounded down for GR.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder

vireoeo's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

4.5

If you've ever been a Weird Little Girl, this one's for you, but it's gonna be uncomfortable. My brother lent me the book and told me it was the most disturbing thing he'd ever read (more so than Let the Right One In, which I disagree with), so when I started finding the main characters wildly relatable, I got concerned. I kept waiting to STOP finding the main characters wildly relatable. It didn't happen. Teresa in particular spoke to me in a way that will stick with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Abandonment

Power drill-related violence and gore

cubistvowels's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

leocmd17's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder