Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

15 reviews

reading_srsly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

* Class inequality

* Grooming & Manipulation

* Mystery

* LGBTQ+ Romance

In a world where everything is accepted at face value and even the simplest of things are strictly regulated, all it takes is the slightest seed of curiosity to disrupt the careful balance of their society. 

The writing was a little tough to get into at first, it’s very simple and short despite being dialogue and conversation heavy. But the story itself is arresting (sometimes quite literally), and the mystery of the world is well woven through the setting and characters. The foreshadowing is heavy to the point the plot is somewhat predictable, but it’s still enjoyable to see it unfold. 

Sid is hands down my favorite character. Sid is the quintessential love interest, complete with witty banter and a devil-may-care attitude. She doesn’t hide her plans for the future or her flaws, and the subtle openness without triggering the many thinly veiled alarm bells of some other love interests easily catapults her to memorability. It is worth noting that there is a lot of manipulation and selfishness within just about every relationship of the story, and despite Sid’s levity this is also a pretty heavy read that features childhood trauma and manipulation. 

The big thing that drags this book down from five stars is that the ending felt highly unsatisfying.

I didn’t need a happily ever after, but after so long languishing in parties and the slow trickle of discovery, it seemed like the author rushed her way through to setting up book two.

This is a thought-provoking book that would be a great book club read. It highlights what happens when people neglect asking questions, the importance of a fresh outsider’s perspective, and the importance of holding on to history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent

hue's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

The backside text hardly does any justice to the story within. Marie Rutkoski has woven an intricate, fantastically drab world where injustice is hideously clear yet accepted. 

I adored the characters, the differences between High Kith and Half-Kith and Middlings, the writing was lucious and lurid, the telling captivatingly vivid. 

Nirrim was such a pleasure to follow as she wandered through her thoughts and actions, disassembling all that she had grown up believing, never realising how twisted and unfair it all had been. 

If you enjoyed this wonderful story, I recommend two other books that gave me the same feeling as this did.
1. The City of Woven Streets by Emmi Itäranta
2. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.0

The beginning wasn’t very interesting but then the middle got better. I was getting excited to read the second one until the very last line. That last line made me so very angry, however I still need to read the second book to see what happens with said last line. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Body horror and Sexual content

Minor: Child abuse

nicnevin's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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

3.0

So this is the first book I've read from this author and its... Alright? I found the ending quite... Abrupt and the worldbuilding is a little slapdash however I realise that this is already set in a world from other books she wrote. 

Sid and Nirrim are a cute couple but I don't know how it ends. I guess leaving the book on such an abrupt ending ticked me off because it felt like a lot of build up for not much pay off bit I suppose that's why is more than one book. 

the magic blood reveal was pretty obvious so it annoyed me it took everyone so long to figure it out. Also shouldnt diluted blood be a yellowy orange colour? Maybe magic blood hits different idk

Don't get me wrong, the book is okay but just didn't gel with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

alsoapples's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Blood and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

bonnienoire's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

imaginingly's review against another edition

adventurous 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

the TENSION this book had oh my GOSH
this was really good but— actually that’s all, it was a really good book and i enjoyed it from the very beginning! the ended definitely left me wanting more but it didnt have the “wow” factor to make it a 5 star

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting and Classism

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Murder

angstifies's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense

• 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

just everything about the setting was perfect, i can’t get over how much i loved the magical elements in this world. i think i’ve never been as invested in a fictional relationship as i was in this book, oh i LOVED IT.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Abandonment

sarahna's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Classism