Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

44 reviews

anglerfishinariver's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

This is the first book that has ever really managed to change my perspective on something. I always love revenge plots and power trips where people don't regret anything, and get annoyed when they realize they didn't gain anything, but did book did it beautifully. He Who Drowned The World is a book about power, fate, love, regret, revenge, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, corruption, pain, and so much more. 
I loved the scheming and strategizing from different perspectives, and how much effort was put into writing out the battles and their significance, even though I thought the battle against Chen was goofy. 
Regardless, the book's real strengths were the characters and the relationships between them. I have never ever read a book that explored characters' personality in so much detail and with so much care. It was a truly incredible experience, and I felt and suffered for every character, no matter how evil they were. And they were all completely different people, they felt raw and real. None of them were perfect, but I loved them with all my heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

saltyseakitten's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

hanz's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Slavery, and Pregnancy

edelyra's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Miscarriage

bower214's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

kukazashi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jesslinkletter's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I will be emotionally devastated by this book for years to come. I found myself unable to put down He Who Drowned The World and was completely enraptured by all the twists and turns it took. The way Parker-Chan has captured such complex characters that you simultaneously empathize with their struggles and emotions but are horrified by the brutal extents their actions reach is unlike anything I've ever read. I cried my way through so much of this book as I saw what the characters went through and what fraught emotional states their trauma led them to. By the end, it seemed as though every character had descended into madness. This was an incredible feat of storytelling. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Murder, and Dysphoria

Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

k_aro's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, and Abortion

All three moderate content warnings happen explicitly but is basically contained to just one scene.

alyssa_simard's review against another edition

• 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

blumoonie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

I've had this book for a while, but I was waiting for the perfect time to read it. as I was reading, I wanted desperately to finish it (so I know how it ends and can revel in it), but also feared the concept of ending (I will never read this for the first time ever again). there are few books that make me feel these complex emotions just by thinking ‘I should really read that soon…’

I grew fonder of the characters who I was already attached to, and found a new liking for others as well. ‘liking’ perhaps isn't the best word… maybe ‘admiration' and ‘pity’. the plot unfolded in ways I could not have imagined, including:

- watching someone descend into madness from a perspective that feels far too personal and uncomfortable
- multiple resurrections, though none are truly what they seem at first
- the use of pain to blur the line between one's humanity and animal instincts

and so on, and so on. of course, themes of gender, diaspora and queerness are as important to this novel as they were in the first.

I love this series, and I loved this book- possibly even more than the first. I want to go back to when things were simpler and hurt less, but I can't help the urge to go forever fowards.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide