Reviews tagging 'Death'

Cursed Bread by Sophie Mackintosh

23 reviews

ladybergart's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

katewhite77's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

3.0

A book to make you stop and think.

I think this is a book where the reader has to look beneath the surface narrative to the mirrored narrative submerged bellow the water line. It is also about appetites of various types, and how trauma can affect both individual. 

I very much enjoyed the language of this novel and can highly recommend the audiobook the narrator does a wonderful job.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death

ariparip's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

2.75

TL;DR: extremely slow; horny, but not in the fun way; dark and descriptive, inching towards profundity without ever getting there. 

I was so excited to read this book and was so disappointed. It is extremely slow. The audiobook is only 5 hours and I listened on 1.25 speed but it still took me over a month to finish. I kept reading thinking the pace might pick up and because I was interested in the characters, but the prose was flowery without real substance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jennikreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy

virtualdragonkitty's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

An interesting story about the baker's wife and her strange relationship with the new American ambassador wife, loosely based on history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Drug abuse

mmccombs's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

3.0

Strange and lyrical, I didn’t really like this book until the very end. I feel like it could have gotten weirder earlier?? I liked the themes here, about historical trauma and marriage and loneliness, but I was pretty bored for most of it. The ending was quite haunting and visceral, so I think the build up was worth it, but I almost feel like this could have been more effective as a short story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Grief

erisouls's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

If you enjoyed reading Bitter Orange you will enjoy this book. It felt strangely similar at times. I liked it enough to read it all in one sitting but I wouldn’t pick it up again, nor do I think I would tell anyone else to read it. 

I was incredibly disappointed that Violet and Élodie never hooked up. I realize that thematically, the ending made sense, however I was crushed hearing how cruel they were to her. Perhaps I am the gullible one for thinking they were ever interested.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

inkylabyrinth's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Sultry, sensual, sumptuous. The blurb gives way too much away--just read it if it calls to you.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Suicide

bronzeageholly's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.0

There were incredibly sculpted moments in this book, but the majority of the pacing was not for me. Despite the short length, I found it difficult to keep going and often had to convince myself to come back to it with the thought that there might be another brilliantly written section coming up. I saw it described as a “fever” and I think that fits it perfectly - the highs and lows of temperature. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes beautifully crafted characters who it’s hard to wholly like or hate. 

The main character experiences a lot of obsessive thoughts around sex, bodies, eating, and violence, and I would not recommend this book to anyone who might find this triggering.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

charliecc's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

Taut, sensual, dark. Like a fever dream. Confusing and claustrophobic. But brilliant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol