Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

7 reviews

abbie_'s review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.0

I finished The Bass Rock earlier in the week, and while it started out really strong, it ended up only being a middling read for me. I feel like Wyld had a great story with Ruth and Viviane, but then her publisher was like nah I think three would be better, so she had to quickly weave in Sarah’s storyline. It truly felt forgotten about, her share of chapters was nowhere near equal and every time I came across one it’d take me ages to remember what had been happening.

It’s not an easy read, as each of the narratives follows three generations of women, against the backdrop of the Scottish coast, whose lives are constantly being determined by the men in their lives. I found Viviane’s storyline the most compelling, especially with the addition of Maggie, a sex worker down on her luck who pulls no punches. Ruth’s storyline was also engaging, as she struggles to adjust to being a mother figure to her husband’s young boys, still grieving the death of their mother. But at times I thought Wyld was trying to tackle too many tough topics at once and as a result, they weren’t done quite enough justice.

Overall, a slightly muddled read that felt a bit heavy handed at times, but not mad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia

catha1na's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Murder, Misogyny, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Sexism, Self harm, Death, Child death, Mental illness, Infidelity, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

anna220310's review

challenging dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Alcoholism, Drug use, Death of parent, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage

Minor: War

This is very hard to read, emotionally, but a very important read. A masterful representation of the pervasiveness of violence against women throughout time, and a call for rebellion. Although The Bass Rock could be classified as gothic fiction, it is much too realistic to be called that, even though that fact is hard to stomach. Evie Wyld also does not only portray violence against women, but also the violence men enact on young boys, so it feels like a comprehensive portrayal of the ridiculously extensive normalisation of sexual violence that is integral to the patriarchal system. If anyone doesn't understand why it is dangerous to be a woman, today as well as throughout history, hand them this book.

azebrareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Ableism, Bullying, Torture, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Death, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

your_true_shelf's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

4.5*. Dark,  chilling,  gothic book about the violence experienced by women at the hands of men,  and the women's instinct to survive. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Sexual violence, and Alcoholism

dianahincureads's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

The Bass Rock is a complex, beautifully written book. Set mostly in Scotland, North Berwick, it mixes 3 timelines, following the destinies of 3 women. Sarah, accused of witchcraft in the 1700s. Ruth, trapped in an unhappy marriage and a suffocating community after the Second World War. Viviane, in charge of emptying Ruth’s house and cataloguing her belongings after Ruth’s death in the 2000s. All of them connected, their lives unfolding under the unchanged gaze of The Bass Rock, an uninhabited island visible from North Berwick.

But the main character in The Bass Rock is the patriarchy. It manifests in so many ways, setting the oppressive atmosphere of the novel. There is no escape from its systemic violence. It seeps like poison through the pages of the book. How would the lives of these 3 women look like without the men that dictate their every step? The novel explores the idea of collective trauma in very creative ways. The past literally haunts the present.

Cult vibes, supernatural elements, anxiety galore, this novel is a perfect spooky read. The Bass Rock is raw and demanding. It will constantly challenge you. Beware of TW before delving in, as most of the following topics are explored in detail: murder (femicide & other), domestic violence, rape, death, substance abuse (mostly alcoholism), child abuse (paedophilia).

📖“What if all the women that have been killed by men through history were visible to us, all at once? If we could see them lying there. What if you could project a hologram of bodies in the places they were killed? […] It’s just a feeling I have all the time that I’m walking in and out of these deaths and I should at least notice. I should notice because I’m not dead yet, and there’s no difference between these women and me, or you or your mother or the lady in the tea shop. We’re just breezing in and out of the death zone. Wading through the dead.” (p. 140-141).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and Pedophilia

rmaclean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

4.5 stars. one of the best books I have read this year. Menacing, gothic, mysterious and haunting. Multiple time lines interweave to create the haunting effect. This book explores toxic masculinity and its effects on generations. Beautiful writing. A must read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Drug use