Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

16 reviews

moa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Rape, and Sexual violence

joutha's review against another edition

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Medical trauma

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

If you know me, you'll know that I love dark and complex storytelling and Fingersmith fits both to a T!

We follow Sue and Maud, one grew up with a group of thieves in the heart of London and the other was raised by a book obsessed man. There is plotting and scheming, there's questionable morals, a lot of tension, and slow burning passion. 

If you like complex stories where there isn't clear good and bad characters, full of original ideas and an impecable storytelling style, this is for you! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

fran2567's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

Amazingly written, sometimes a bit dark, but worth to keep reading for the incredible plot. Great plottwist and development of women characters. Shows women in the complexity of who they, plays with the ‘saint’ or ‘harlot’ stereotype that tents to be put on women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia

If you have trauma of forced institutionalisation or sexual abuse by a family member, then I would not recommend this book. It does have a happy ending and the main characters reclaim their trauma.

zeus_strider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Blood, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

nicnymh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It’s a good book in that it was well written, but as a book that is constantly touted as strong queer representation I was disappointed and a little horrified. Readers looking for healthy functional sapphic relationships or storylines should run in the opposite direction. Reads like it was written by a violent man who hates women, especially lesbians. Intense and pervasive sexual harassment of a teen by a family member, grooming and predator behavior. It’s intense, be warned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

kayleamber's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Sexism, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

Implied sexual abuse

kelsiepixler's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Sarah Waters is an absolute master of plot twists. My favorite thing about her books, specifically this book, is how the plot twists are unexpected but also really fit the story. Reading this book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was never quite sure what would happen next. At one point the anticipation got the best of me, and I googled the book. Despite "ruining" the ending of the book, I was still hooked because the story just continued to play out in ways I didn't expect even considering the spoilers I had read.  I am eagerly anticipating my next Sarah Waters read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence

anacereading's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit