Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Pretty Girls - Putri-putri Cantikku by Gloria Saripah Patara, Karin Slaughter

9 reviews

or10n's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

This book took itself seriously. A lot of murder mysteries tend to lean into the campiness of the genre to avoid going too dark or depressing, but this book leaned into the darker aspects, which made me respect it. The prose was Dickensian at times, but overall very readable. Weirdly, this was one of the very few times that I've read a book and felt like the author had the appearance of their characters all wrong. I won't force my opinion, but it was as shocking to me as if she'd said they were blue. There were one or two out of pocket lines that I didn't love, but it's a long enough book to drown those out. I think that you'd enjoy this book IF you have the stomach for it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Torture

Moderate: Rape and Kidnapping

Minor: Racism

jaide_monroe's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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? Yes

1.0

I hated this book. I’m glad I read “The Good Daughter” before this, because if this was the first Slaughter book I’d read, I would’ve never picked up another. 

The characters were deeply unlikeable and not in a Gillian Flynn way. Claire’s racist and sides with a rapist over her sister; Lydia’s just plain old dumb. Oh and FAT! Slaughter won’t let you forget that Lydia’s the fattest person on earth. Just an obese beast. 

Are you fucking serious? 

Mention it once, maybe twice, but stop making it seem like she’s the scum of the earth because she’s not a twig. At times, it felt like Slaughter was making Lydia out to be worse than the snuff porn. 

If all of these characters were thrown into a burning pit, I’d feel nothing but relief. 

Also, it’s really hard to believe that this snobby white housewife turns into a vigilante at the end and kills the POS she fell in love with. 

Fuck this book. I’m counting it as read even though I skipped to the last couple of chapters and skimmed it. I hope Slaughter’s other books are nothing like this.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia and Racism

samsaindon's review against another edition

i realized im not into body horror at all

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, and Murder

shaunaofthedead's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Trafficking, and Death of parent

evevallarta's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

Pretty girls,
Al principio el cambio de narrador en cada capítulo me confundió porque no entendía. Una vez que llegas a la escena del cementerio todo se aclara y se pone super interesante y muy buena la historia. MUY IMPORTANTE CHECAR EL TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ porque si está fuerte.

Lo que no me gustó:
No se si soy yo o sentí un tono racista cuando metieron a ciertos personajes que son ladrones o "malos" pero no van con el plot principal, los describen poniendo enfasis en su raza o color de piel, no me gustó eso.
 La parte donde Aclara que "también" hay mujeres en el fbi... Like, no lo digas, solo di hombres y mujeres. 

El último capítulo está de sobra, lo hubieran metido antes o resumido, no tiene sentido. Si el papá estaba dejando las cartas hubiera escrito algo más interesante para que cuando terminarás de leer pensaras que "ahí estaban todo el tiempo las respuestas".
Igual cuando están ya en el granero y dicen que ese no es el momento para hablar de las cosas... Que piensen en chistes y cosas bonitas???? O sea, la policía, fbi y medios estarán acosandolas sobre el tema en minutos... En qué otro momento pueden hablar de lo que acaba de pasar y todo ese pedo!?

Fuera de esas partes la idea fue muy buena, me sorprendió realmente al principio y el no saber quién es bueno y quién no te mantiene en suspenso.
Pero creo que tenían una gran historia y les faltó editarla, los últimos capítulos casi los skymee, realmente da miedo y el tema está bien pensado, pero esperaba más.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

nanamiogushi's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

victory's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

3.5

Quite frankly I don’t understand why this book is always considered better than the good daughter by the same author. They both require heavy trigger warning but this one’s are over the roof. Also the subtle racism and disregard for some peoples religion was a bit much for me and uncalled for. And even if they were meant to represent how the character is, it added nothing to the story or development of the character so I don’t see the point of them. This book is okay at best. And if you sit down and take away the shock factor that is the violence then you really don’t have that much of a plot let alone a book. Karin slaughter simply has better work than this one. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

oneinamili's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

I loved the author's style, was completely hooked, and enjoyed all the twists! However, I didn't like the characters and struggled to get attached to them, which is something I look for in a book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Car accident

Minor: Infidelity, Racism, and Vomit

isaac_c's review against another edition

dark sad tense

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Vomit, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism