Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

42 reviews

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

I have never read a book like this. I have been wanting to get into more eerie books and this totally scratched that itch for me. If you are a fan of spooky but not horror this is definitely for you. There is a lot of gore and body horror stuff that left me thoroughly unsettled. It reminded me of “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. The whole story was dark and brooding with little flecks of hope and the writing made the characters and setting come to life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

mixtercharlie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

5.0

This is a wonderful book that I would encourage everyone to read in small parts. It deserves to be enjoyed slowly. There is violence but the violence is paramount to the story, even when it’s visceral and upsetting. A book I could read again and again and always take away something new. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

salemander's review against another edition

5.0

absolutely brilliant. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

cookiecat73's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

This was a very raw, very honest book that absolutley did not shy away from tough topics. I loved the characters. The first 3/4 were amazing, but unfortunately the last quarter of the book went in a direction that was much less of my thing and I enjoyed it a lot less. Overall though, very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Excrement

danaslitlist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

dustghosts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Sorrowland had a little bit of everything that I wanted from the other horror books I read this past October. Visceral and mysterious body horror intertwined with a really compelling and (unfortunately) timeless, unflinching look at the mycelium of systemic racism (colonialism, human experimentation, systemic poverty and the lengths it might drive someone to, religious bigotry, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia and interphobia— etcetera). I think this should be a must-read for people who lean too heavily on “blaming the system” while turning away from personal responsibility for the way that participation in those systems hurts people specifically. Vern is a complicated protagonist with mostly uncomplicated motives— and she compelled me more than anything else about this book. The supernatural “twist” to the story doesn’t soften the issues at hand, but underlines it. At times, it this read a bit too blunt/heavy-handed for me— but by and large this felt like a purposeful narrative choice, so it’s splitting hairs. The horror and the sorrow and the misery of it all is balanced, all the way through, by a thread of tender togetherness that I think will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Confinement, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

brooklyn_roemer's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Mass/school shootings

melliedm's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Hate crime, Slavery, Police brutality, Car accident, and Colonisation

starrysteph's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.75

Sorrowland is a dark, haunting reflection on American history and the country’s repeated abuse of Black bodies.

We follow Vern, a pregnant teenager who has fled the religious compound where she was raised and her abusive husband who leads the cult. She gives birth to twins in the forest, intending to raise them far away from the influence of society. But Vern is infected, and she begins to morph into something far beyond her understanding; a violent and powerful rebirth. 

The writing has a beautiful, chilling, lyrical quality. Solomon writes with a righteous rage – the plot is unapologetic and damning. So many elements are explored: rebellion and government manipulation and experimentation using Black and indigenous bodies and queer acceptance and love.

It’s dark and weird and often difficult to press on. I sometimes felt a little lost, but was always entranced. I think you as a reader simply have to embrace the surrealism and surrender to the flow of the story. And the descriptions of Vern’s transformation and that body horror element … absolutely riveting.

The reflections on gender and sexuality were particularly poignant and engaging. 

The story was so complex and deep that I’m already looking forward to a reread - and to letting this one sink in even more.

CW: death, murder, body horror, child death, animal death, violence, self harm, gun violence, psychosis, hallucinations, drowning, racism, sexual assault, pedophilia, medical experimentation, religious bigotry, homophobia, emotional abuse, physical abuse, torture, sexual content

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

atalea's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Murder, and Pregnancy