Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

9 reviews

daniellekat's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

The perfect vacation/beach read. This was fast paced and easy to follow. I love SMG’s writing and the way she dances through genres. Not my favourite of her books but a quick, captivating read nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Domestic abuse, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation

Moderate: sexual coercion

pphector's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism and Animal cruelty

jayisreading's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

3.75

Untamed Shore takes place in a sleepy coastal town in 1970s Baja California, where the protagonist, Viridiana, spends much of her time bored and longing to get out. Little does she know, her life would take a drastic turn when three Americans arrive one summer and hire her as a personal assistant. True to Moreno-Garcia’s style, there’s a lot of setting up the atmosphere that happens at the start, with much of the action happening later in the book.

I’m not sure if this novel will fully satisfy mystery or thriller lovers, but Moreno-Garcia always has a way of writing that draws you in and keeps you wanting more, I feel. When it came to the twists, I found most of them to be a little predictable, though it didn’t take away from the overall mood of the story. If anything, Untamed Shore felt like an opportunity to watch Viridiana grow as a young woman, especially as she learns from her entanglements with the three visitors in more ways than one.

I felt that the novel ended rather mysteriously, which I don’t think is a bad thing— If anything, it feels like an appropriate way to end a book that was clearly inspired by film noirs. It certainly sets things up for Moreno-Garcia to write more about Viridiana, should she want to.

I admit I wasn’t entirely invested in the book, in part because I wasn’t a huge fan of most of the characters, but I always enjoy how Moreno-Garcia adds her unique twists to different genres and time periods.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

Ugh SMG's writing is just top tier. I listened to this one on audio, and, while a very different book from Daughter of Dr. Moreau, it was equally as good. I'm so excited to read more from her!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, and Murder

elizlizabeth's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

A little bit over the top with the old timey movie references but superb plot twists and character... development (?) as always.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Misogyny, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Vomit

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Minor: Alcohol

mandkips'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
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse

horizonous's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, and Suicide

◦ Death = Death of a loved one

saimab's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring 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

4.5

 I was almost sad to finish because I enjoyed it so much, the writing and the characters and the suspenseful atmosphere of it being so wonderful to read. 

SMG has a way of writing women that is almost comforting. Our main character Viridiana in an 18-year-old woman who desperately wants off her little island, too intelligent to be spending her days watching sharks and waiting for tourists so that she can give them tours. She's both ambitious and directionless - wanting to travel and visit Mexico City, but unsure how she can ever escape this small town. I instantly loved her, her smarts and her awkwardness and her love to quote books and movies. 

When she is given the opportunity to be a personal assistant/translator for some tourists, she is eager but apprehensive. It spirals from there - the tourists aren't what they seem, and suddenly one of them is now dead. But she's enamoured by the charismatic Gregory and fascinated by the elusive Daisy, so when they both said that the death was an accident she has no choice but to go along with the plan. 

It's frustrating at times reading Viridiana be strung along by the foreigners, but at the same I can't blame her when I consider how magnetic and charismatic they must be to a small-town girl. That's not to say that Viridiana doesn't learn from them and their manipulative ways, and it's thrilling to see how she transforms from a naive girl to someone very aware of the power she holds. 

I couldn't help but feel bad for Lawrence at times. It's strange - I totally fell for what Daisy and Gregory said about Law being arrogant, but then you finally get to meet him and he's barely arrogant, just awkward and lonely but also very rich. I thought he and Viridiana were very sweet, so that's why I felt bad for him since Viridiana was so hopelessly in love with Gregory. But well, considering the ending, who knows what will happen to the pair of them.

 

All in all, yet another SMG book I adored. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment

Minor: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Gaslighting