Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

126 reviews

sammymilfort's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

witcheep's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy

Minor: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Vomit, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Colonisation

lillelow's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.75

Intriguing story with solid world-building, rich history, and well-developed cultures and social structures that bring the setting to life. The characters are well-fleshed out, realistic, and their relationships evolve naturally - although I can’t help but wondering how many bad things can realistically happen to a person. The depicts a cruel world with lots of death, trauma, and jarring imagery on many different levels. While I guessed some of the supposed big reveals early on, there was still plenty to decode, and I’m sure much will only make full sense when reading the second novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Hate crime, Slavery, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Classism

jnavbar's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Torture and Cannibalism

aidareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.75

perhaps it was my brain but i got kinda confused with the narrator thingy. i do think it was super interesting to have multiple "narrators", one of them being 2nd person, but towards the end i got a bit lost with the characters (if you know, you know). still, i hope i like the rest of the trilogy a bit better because the plot is certainly super interesting and relevant!! and i loved the diversity and the queer rep!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Torture

Minor: Cannibalism

hanmccull's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

3.75

“Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we?”

Ambitious and harrowing with a diverse cast of characters, I can see how this won the Hugo Award as it’s incredibly clever. 

The narrator did a fantastic job & I was fully immersed in the story throughout. Looking forward to the next instalment!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, and Torture

kwthor's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

ouivie's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Torture

Minor: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexual content, Slavery, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting

tangledweb65's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

This was a challenging book to read, and I found it slightly slow to start, but GOD it was worth it. One of those books you finish and immediately reach for the next in the trilogy. I absolutely admire the style of storytelling she manages to achieve, and how she makes the characters such normal people while being so completely not. Absolutely amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Deportation

Minor: Hate crime, Mental illness, Excrement, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

anniehayez's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I really can’t put my thoughts into words other than to say this is a perfect book. I think this is the most unique, intricate, heartbreaking and awe inspiring story I’ve ever read. A true masterpiece.  (Please see content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, and Cannibalism

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Transphobia, Vomit, Trafficking, and Suicide attempt