Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Trespasses by Louise Kennedy

27 reviews

michaelsbirthday's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Terminal illness

laedyred's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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

2.5

I was strangely compelled to finish this book quickly, but I think that is due to some quality of the writing I haven't identified yet. The lack of quotation marks is strange and doesn't lend itself well to being a stylistic choice. Save one, I hated every single character. It seems we're supposed to be sad that

Michael is killed or that Cushla is finally free of shit abuse.

  There's nothing redeemable about the love interest. I didn't leave this book feeling sad, because the "love story" is just two selfish people who are most definitely not in love. What was the author trying to say? What were we supposed to learn? Belfast was violent? Yeah, we know. Cheating is bad? Obviously. I didn't hate the book, but I don't understand how it made it to the shortlist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

jennaz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book, though it took me a while to finish for some reason (I would read a good bit at once then put it down for a month). I love the writing style. 

The suddenness of Michael Agnew’s death caught me off guard, though there were hints that he was in some kind of danger, it was simply a single sentence about it happening. Wasn’t as dramatic (like having Cushla find him or something) than I would’ve imagined.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

caitlin_123a's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Blood, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury

qqjj's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kaddictwithapen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, and War

Moderate: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Blood

itsnotsarah's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

The overall tone of this book is very depressing, which is not really surprising given the topic, but I would still advise against reading this book if you are currently not feeling so well already or if something traumatic has happened to you recently. Chances are pretty high that this one would make it worse (it did for me). 
The heavy drinking and alcoholism of many characters was very triggering for me, but I had to read this book for one of my university classes. I think it is a good book, if you want to know what it felt like living in Northern Ireland during The Troubles, but otherwise just depressing and uncomfortable to read. 
The main relationship also comes out of nowhere and he is double her age, which is not necessarily bad, but I personally didn’t like it. Especially since it’s also

an affair

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Miscarriage

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

This one didn't upend my brain, but I liked it. I think it's an interesting look at survival during basically wartime. Everyone has to keep moving, but it also feels impossible to do so. I didn't love Cushla, but I don't think I had to, and maybe it created a nice separation to be able to look at the whole story. I DID love the precious little boy at school. And I do tend to like a little forbidden romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

rad_reads_123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Infidelity, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

lcg527's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury