Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

15 reviews

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Body horror and Sexual content

lroseb's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

pil4r's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Un thriller que no termina de serlo.
Death of a Bookseller ofrece una historia que intenta esgrimir el misterio sobre la muerte anunciada de una vendedora de libros, de alguna de nuestra dos opuestas protagonistas.
Slater construye personajes muy caricaturescos, humanos y, por ende, frecuentemente insoportables. Laura y Roach son dos mujeres completamente distintas pero igualmente desesperadas e intensas. Esta desesperación se vincula con la vacancia de cierto amor, de cierta falta del lugar propio que late y duele en ambas.
Las perspectivas son interesantes, entretenidas y dan lugar a efectos emocionales -muy bien logrados- del orden del asco, la verguenza ajena pero también la empatía.
Otros aspectos que disfruté mucho de esta historia son: la verosimilitud de las conversaciones que la autora propone, la atinada discusión en torno a lo problemático y lo atractivo del true crime y lo bien escrita que esta la obsesión que se desenvuelve a lo largo de la trama.
Más allá de todo esto, la novela dejó de ser entretenida e intrigante para mí para resultar larga-de-más a partir de su segundo tercio.
Recomiendo para feministas amantes del true crime y el misterio que estén dispuestas a enfrentarse a perspectivas que incomodan porque nos hacen ver, en los personajes, lo que a veces no queremos ver de nosotras mismas. Siempre y cuando estén también abiertas a encontrarse con una historia a la que le sobran un par de páginas.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder

spacedout_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I thought the writing was good and the characterization was superb, every one felt like a real, flawed individual. However, for me the story was ultimately not that satisfying, and it felt like it left a lot of loose ends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Murder

jennifermreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

"By Christmas, Laura Bunting was gone. And it was my fault."

I picked up Death of a Bookseller during Indie Bookstore Day 2024. This definitely was a “title buy” with the words “death” and “bookseller” screaming from the cover! And, with the bookstore setting, there are a plethora of book titles sprinkled within the context of the story. If you are not careful, your TBR will grow exponentially. 

The dual perspective novel will have you rethinking every true crime podcast, novel, and TV show you have ever consumed. With one character obsessed with serial killers and one character begging us to remember the victims, readers are pulled back and forth, teetering on the edge of sense and sanity. I love when I find myself questioning the reliability of a narrator. I also found myself jumping between “I know what is going to happen” and “whoa…maybe I don’t.” 

An enjoyable diversion with a unique twist on serial killer storylines.         

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Vomit

Moderate: Sexual content

Several of the instances of vomiting could be eating disorder related. I do not have personal experience with eating disorders and had trouble identifying if it was grief, alcohol, or disorder leading to episodes of vomit.

beth_s98's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

Honestly, this book wasn’t for me, and I only finished it partially out of spite. I hated Roach,

and while I think that’s kind of the point, I struggled to get through her chapters.

I liked Lauren, and a lot of the other characters were interesting.

I hate in the end that Lauren doesn’t get true peace, and we are left with Roach walking back into her life.

There were just so many moments that I felt were either unnecessary or just beyond plausibility. I don’t think the writing was bad, but I was not a fan of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Mass/school shootings

wrackspurtt's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Blood and Vomit

isb_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

Wow. Just wow. This book was an unnerving, grotesque, intriguing, mind-effing wonder. I felt so deeply connected to the characters that it was easy to slip into the dark world Alice Slater has created here. Obsession is a powerful thing, and this book will not soon leave my mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

charming_killerqueen's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Murder

Moderate: Sexism and Stalking

Minor: Sexual content