Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Mandíbula by Mónica Ojeda

41 reviews

beraspa's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Me he quedado blanca

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

pil4r's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

 Mandíbula es un trabajo de ficción literaria latinoamericana completamente perturbador y atrapante.
El protagonismo está tomado por mujeres problemáticas pero sobre todo por los vínculos oscuros y pegajosos entre ellas. La adolescencia femenina se erige como algo espeso, turbio, que brilla entreteniendose con el peligro y la violencia. La agresión e incomprensión signan los roles de hijas y madres.
La trama juega inteligentemente con la construcción de la intriga y un horror blanco, coqueteando con todos los límites. Ojeda da una clase magistral -a veces pecando de cierta pretensión, es cierto- muy psicoanalista y extremadamente cinematográfica sobre esto, sobre la intersección entre el miedo, el deseo, la violencia y las mujeres.
El libro es oscuro, retorcido, pasan muchas cosas al mismo tiempo y, sin embargo, es díficil dejar de ver.
Recomiendo altamente para amantes del terror de la Enríquez, para personas dispuestas a entretenerse y pensar sobre lo problemáticamente endiosado, violento y asqueroso de la adolescencia femenina siempre y cuando no les intimiden ni aburran demasiado los excesos de incisos, subordinadas y referencias a madres lacanianas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death and Mental illness

Minor: Religious bigotry

savshelfinger's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

This book is good for an in-depth character study on adolescence, but I felt like I just kept waiting for something to happen that never materialized. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying and Child death

marenstunes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

catmisae's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

I appreciated how the author depicted each character’s unique distress at the erosion of their own sense of identity as an autonomous person. I took a point and change off the star rating because I feel like the story kind of trailed off at the end. Fans of Fight Club would probably enjoy this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm

Minor: Animal death and Child death

oliviapincin's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism

fernandaptln's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-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: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Incest, and Stalking

Minor: Animal death

janae's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Hmmmm as a horror newbie it's hard for me to know how to judge. For writing I give it 5 stars, and a solid 4 stars for story. For the horror element it was definitely unsettling.

A lot of talk about teenage sexuality and genitals, very unsettling and uncomfortable

So for horror I would give it a 3-4, I def had the heebeejeebies. 

Overall, I recommend this to any woman/woman aligned or perceived person who has been in a toxic ass friendship with another woman, especially as a teenager. That shit was a little too relatable! Also all the horror around the mother-daughter relationship made me want to nevvver have a kid.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Bullying and Gun violence

kmacdo23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This novel is a revelation, a scream trapped in the throat of a teenage girl, a rosary made of strangers' teeth. One that I would pray upon, with reverence. This is a lesson I would sit through again. This is a volcano errupting and there's nowhere you can go to escape. I was so unsettled. I was held so tenderly by this story.

Welcome to The White Age. Explore the horrors of teenage girlhood. The horrors of womanhood. This novel twists the relief of being recognized as the fucked up girl that you are with the religions of desire and violence. 

What would you do for someone you love as the other half of yourself,  the completion of you? Everything? Everything, and all the brutality that implies. 

What is a scary story, a monster, a fear, but something kept alive by the same unwitting people that fall victim to its effect. Come see what you could keep alive. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

elisascrive's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

Found myself gnashing at the end without even realising. It always keeps you on the edge. Not a five-star read just because I thought the ending would be much more devastating. Still, the rest of the book is a masterpiece of language and flow. 

It is not an easy read though, very explicit with toxic relationships all over. Motherhood and "sisterhood" are extremely relevant to the whole story and plot, with graphic depictions scattered throughout the novel.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol