Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

98 reviews

sappypatheticm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Alcohol

jennaviolet's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I really wanted to like this but it was a slog. There were funny moments but switching POVs to rehash the same information was too much, and

I was not rooting for Maude and Susan to end up together after both betraying each other

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism

briophyta's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Trafficking, Grief, and Lesbophobia

maziodynes's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

Went into this expecting a tension filled romance, but this book ended up being a well researched historical thriller / mystery with sapphic elements. I enjoyed it!! It just wasn't what I was expecting - and the pacing suffered. Per book club discussion - we wanted more yearning and less trauma 💀

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Minor: Violence

edurnehaeon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

4.25

i liked it but it's hard not to compare it to the movie... and im not sure about the ending 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Death of parent

leontyna's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

It was surprisingly readable for such a long book! I didn't anticipate the direction it would take at all, I couldn't stop reading once I finished the first part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

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

emulator's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

ah yes, the classic

enemies-to-friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers

arc. but more time is spent on the dickensian plot than the queer comment so it never feels like a pulpy romance. also for long stretches one of the most depressing texts I've read in a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

imds's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

heckin_hello's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-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

2.25

I understand why this book is considered a romance, but in my opinion the main story is a story about thieves and morally grey individuals with a subplot of romance.

I found this book hard to work through, if I'm honest. You could probably cut out 100 pages in the middle of the story and not significantly affect it overall. I was shocked by how unlikable literally every single person was as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder