Reviews tagging 'Torture'

My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

13 reviews

laura_cat's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Perhaps the most deeply disturbing book I’ve ever read. This book has extremely graphic descriptions of violence and cruelty and I had to skip ahead at times to avoid some of them. I am relieved to be finished with the book. It’s well-written but I’m not convinced that all of the scenes and disturbing imagery were necessary, and I wonder if this detracted from the impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

emmasxph's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

This book should come with trigger warnings 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

kellyofcali's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.5

I rapidly consumed this book, which is heart-wrenchingly dark and awful, but very well written and you just keep reading hoping that it's going to get better (I won't say whether this want comes to be). It is really, really tough, so you have to be up for that kind of horrific material, but I found myself quickly entangled in the characters and story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Pregnancy

kkay27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

clara_dalstein's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Abandonment

lapuce1006's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Gaslighting

vinnyvince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

rainb0wreads's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Look man, i try to be so nice when it comes to my reviews, but this is genuinely one of the most disgusting books ive ever read. It’s not even the relationship dynamic between Turtle and her dad that disgusts me, it’s simply the way that the author has written turtle and her experiences. It’s like the guy is trying to romanticize sexual assault and it’s gross. Not only that, but he victimized turtle in a way that tries the take all the blame from her assaulter and make it seem like it’s simply because that’s just how Turtle is. AND (yep I’m still going) the writing is so convoluted. The author writes like he assumes everyone knows exactly what he’s talking about. It feels like a research dump so he could get a load of fancy words in there and feel smarter than everyone. Strangely the writing makes the story feel like it’s geared towards men…which makes the whole conversation EVEN WORSE!! Look, if you’re gonna write about the abuse of a 14 year old girl, please do it right. This book had so much potential, and it touched on a lot of good mental health topics in light of abuse, but it’s still making turtle romanticize her assault which victims DO NOT DO!! I’m honestly shocked this book is so well liked. There are so many problems with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

alee02's review against another edition

dark sad

I bought this book half-off at a store without knowing anything about it. This author literally describes a severe abuser and incestuous pedophile as “tortured and charismatic” on the back cover. Hard pass.

Another review describes this book as “written by a guy in your MFA program” and that is precisely the vibe - capitalizing on traumatizing and triggering subject matter, of which the author himself has acknowledged he has not researched, to add shock value to an otherwise underwhelming story. Blech.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

rani's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Abandonment