Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Das Spiel by Stephen King

57 reviews

linearev's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.25

This was my first ‘real’ Stephen King book (not including elevation). I found it so incredibly drawn out and loooong. Partly, this came by since the description on the back, which originally drew me to the book, only really covered the first 40 pages. 
From there we spend about 250 pages of her drinking a glass of water, thinking about friends and family, sleeping and meeting a dog. The extremely descriptive nature of the language in Stephen King books, made the descent into the story so incredibly slow I found it hard to pick up. The last 100 or so pages were where the story picked up. The eclipse, the escape and the aftermath are all covered here, and after the slow pace of the last 2/3 of this book, this last part kept me glued to the pages and biting my nails. Thus, I suppose there is a purpose to the madness, through I’m not sure I would count it as worth it. I may try another one, which is deemed more fast paced or with a regularly spaced plot. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

zoelindsey's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

k8lynn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

3.0

hella content warnings.
also includes necrophilia (not an option on content warnings)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

ollypollylit972's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Blood

meliacartin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.75

this was………. a lot. this was SO much. this book took me months to get through because it is so slow and so dense but it wasn’t a book that i found myself bored by (for the most part). yes the book took forever but the pacing of the book is very reflective of jessie’s experience of being literally chained to a bed in the middle of the woods for like 28 hours. i have several criticisms of this book but the pacing isn’t one

the scene with the broken cup i had to skip because of how intense and graphic it was, same with the eclipse scene. while i understand why the cup scene was included, but it felt odd to me that the eclipse scene went into such incredible detail of the abuse that jessie endured. i think it would have been more effective had the reader been left to connect certain dots, rather that being given a play-by-play

because of how drawn out the book was, it took forever to get to what the ACTUAL plot was. for that reason, it felt really out of left field to me. i’d spent so much of the book thinking it was just going to be an escape plan that the inclusion of That One Guy didn’t make a ton of sense to me? like it did but it didn’t, i don’t know. this is a very poorly worded review lol

the end was a little meh for me. the book felt like it just kept going, trying to explain more and more and more. it would have been fine to leave certain things more open-ended or not as black-and-white

idk. for my first stephen king novel, i think this was a good choice. but i did not expect this to go the way it did at all when i first started it. i doubt anyone will read this before reading, but if they do: PLEASE heed the content warnings

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

reading__redhead's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense 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

3.5

A bit weird and gratuitously written in certain parts, but still decent. I like the Netflix movie a lil better tbh

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

antireading's review against another edition

3.25

Was good but damn sometimes King cannot write women for shit

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Excrement, and Stalking

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

goldenluck's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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? It's complicated

3.0

How I described this to my partner immediately after finishing: it was fine. Jessie is not the worst "woman written by a man" I've ever read, but far from the best. The tension, gore, and horror were compelling and well written. The build up, reveal, and aftermath of her childhood trauma was, for the most part, well done. 

In my opinion, this should have been a short story. Cut out the moonlight man, make the dog the big bad, when she escapes have her realize she and the dog are both victims of man trying to survive and come to peace with that. Or, if you want to include the monster, make him 1) a violator of women not men and 2) LET HER KILL HIM. 

The symbology of Jessie's trauma in regards to sexual assault and misogyny was mostly well done up until the monster and all it's fall out, then it completely fell apart. If he had been able to carry it through, it would have been much better and a much more satisfying albeit dark climax. I just get the feeling that King chickened out in the end, which is so disappointing. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

shawn_martines's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

Stephen King makes situations real through his writing. Although all taking place in one setting with one person, this story was larger so captivating the pace does not drag. The only thing preventing book from a 5 was the Shamalan esque end that although hopeful was entirely unexpected and slightly more disappointing than what the reader expects to happen.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Gore, and Blood