Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

11 reviews

morenowagain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Abortion

Moderate: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Medical content, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Drug use

Minor: Car accident

malinlm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Violence, Abortion, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

satanne's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Abortion

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

emmahe's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

i struggled to keep track of the characters but i really liked the narrative voice and the story 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

flara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This was an intense read. Like a tornado, it came out of nowhere. It kept on gaining intensity until it swept me away. There are passages in this book that are brutally sharp; they might as well cut through me. I understood Kate, her feelings.. or lack thereof. I believe Play It As It Lays was set in the 1960s, and yet it didn't feel aged. It felt very contemporary, disturbingly so. I enjoyed every single page of this very confusing, very tense, very dark novel. It's one of very few books that I regretted having finished reading.

Spoiler

I have this funny thing with Didion: every book that I have picked up so far ended up being very on theme. First I read The Magical Year of Thinking, and felt I could not relate due to lack of life experience with grief. Not a month later my grandfather became gravely ill, and died shortly after. That's when I picked up Blue Nights. Kate has an illegal abortion in Play It As It Lays, which I started reading just as Roe v Wade has been overturned. Crazy how a book from 60 years ago could be so relevant to the current affairs of today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Suicide, Blood, Violence, Pregnancy, Drug use, Infidelity, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Medical trauma

jgliv's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.0

this book made me realize i love reading about messy women.  it was a very quick read although at times i really needed to reread parts because i had no idea what was going on. my first joan didion book so i will be reading more in the near future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Mental illness

Moderate: Abortion and Violence

katelynleonardi's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Grief, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence

carmenfullarton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Violence

laurabarrett's review against another edition

dark sad 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Sexism

danhowellstan2's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

hard to follow at first but obsessed with the snapshots of her life
“you’ve ever made a decision?”
my favorite quote:)
i appreciated the hints at her life and how it was almost a puzzle to put together

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence