Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton

9 reviews

kstericker's review

dark emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Alcohol, and War

jrow's review

tense slow-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

1.0

It’s was like listening to a bunch of Karens complain the entire book. I only finished the book because I have a problem with marking things as DNF.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Outing

risemini's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

owlribbon's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Homophobia and Lesbophobia

marywahlmeierbracciano's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.75

This dark and lyrical novel by theologian Tara Isabella Burton is told from the perspective of a naive, impressionable girl who, at the start of her junior year, transfers to the coastal boarding school featured in her favorite novel, which is reminiscent of A Separate Peace.  She is captivated by the chapel choir—especially by its hypnotizing leader and soprano, Virginia—and she is overjoyed to fall into favor with the exclusive group.  The singers, who also deify the novel and its alumnus author, are puppeteered by Virginia, whose obsession with gravity and piety leads her down a dangerous and surprising path.  Exploring sexuality, integrity, and idolization, this is a novel about wanting to become something one has read about. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

The content warning for sexual violence is referring to sharing intimate videos without consent.

carbs4life'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Tara Burton’s prose is wonderful. She does a great job at carrying the reader through the story she wants to tell. Each character means something in the grand scheme. The author does not waste time but the story doesn’t seem rushed either. 

Button certainly has something to say and I am glad I listened. If you are deciding wether or not to pick this one up, go ahead and try it out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

caidyn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Damn. I'm not even sure how to review this book. It's complex and full of gritty characters that you like and dislike, usually at the same time. And that ending? Left me staring at the page for a couple minutes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

illegiblescribble's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

a haunting tale of religion, power, desire, and longing to be someone worth remembering.

i went into this book not knowing what to expect; i was pleasantly surprised. for a book leaning heavily on christian imagery and ritual, it has a wonderfully diverse cast of characters including a lesbian anarchist punk, a jewish girl who wants to be baptized, a scorned influencer, and a girl who’s just along for the ride. where “the secret history” lost me, this book completely ensnared my attention; perhaps this is the queer “the secret history” that i’ve been looking for. i look forward to revisiting this book in audio format.

thank you to netgalley and simon & schuster for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Suicide, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Lesbophobia

breeburkitt's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious 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

"The World Cannot Give" is a beautiful, immersive read. It so perfectly captures the infatuation, toxicity and eccentricities of adolescence. It's "The Secret History" meets "Catcher in the Rye" with a little "Looking for Alaska" and "Heathers" thrown in. 

Author Tara Isabella Burton does a fantastic job at ensnaring the reader in the New England boarding school, St. Dunstan's right along with Laura Stearns. Laura comes to the school in search of a life worth living, following the steps of alumni Sebastian Oliver, who authored her favorite book. She soon finds a spot in the school's church choir and within the snare of its leader, Virginia Strauss. Laura is a passive witness caught in the whiplash of Virginia's descent. It's a captivating story of obsession — from multiple parties — that takes a dark turn about halfway through the book that I never anticipated. The ending itself is unexpectedly dark, and yet so beautifully fitting.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review. 

4.25/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Vomit