Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

314 reviews

caerlux's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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

2.0

I expected more, and I find myself thinking about this book even after finishing it, in the wrongest ways...

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

mbomersheim's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

I think it’s so fitting that I read this book while in Scotland!

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy is a fiction novel following Inti, a team member for a project that aims to rewild Scotland by reintroducing wolves into the Highlands in an area where the locals are not too pleased with their work. The plot starts picking up when a farmer is found dead and Inti gets swept into the drama of the town and protecting the wolves she released. I don’t think I was the intended audience for this book; it just wasn’t for me. The pacing was slow, and I didn’t care for the characters. Maybe it is because I have been reading a lot of fantasy recently, but I just wanted more plot. This being said, I know many people rate this book highly, so maybe I was just missing something. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Abortion

corncake's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Medical content, and Abandonment

aprilalwayswithabook's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.25

TW for sexual assault and trauma. Lots of trauma. But gorgeously written.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

random_shoes's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

ajamwelch's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

Wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Make sure to check trigger warnings because there are darker themes prevalent in this story. Really moving to see this woman’s connection to the wolves and to her sister and how she balances that with the rest of her life. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Murder

daturas's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Sexual assault

Moderate: Murder

jazzyinthewild's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Dementia, Abortion, and Death of parent

danajoy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

This book is brutal. Set in the cold and hostile Scottish Highlands, Inti is a head Wolf biologist reintroducing wolves to the wild. 

I went into this in a calm mental state, capable of handling what it includes but it definitely worth looking at triggers. The protagonist has mirror-touch synesthesia and feels the sensations she witnesses others experience, this makes any violence particularly confronting.
There is a lot of violence. There are animal deaths/injuries, desecration of an animal  corpse, and beyond that, domestic violence is a major theme. 

I appreciated the atmosphere. Inti was an interesting, intense, character. She made a lot of decisions that I never would.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, and Death of parent