Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black

34 reviews

vereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Grief, Gaslighting, Slavery, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Torture

erised's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Death, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent, Bullying, and Physical abuse

lightscamerazaction's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

If I could judge this book solely on the second half I would rate it much higher. I understand that there's a certain amount of needing the character to get to where she needs to be for the last half the book but the first half is slow and full of torture for the main character that is uncomfortable to watch.

Once it gets there though it becomes a great story of a rise to power and corruption of Jude trying to protect other innocence by sacrificing her own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Death of parent, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual harassment

gooseturnover's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Didn't like the first portion of the book, thought about dropping it, and ended up giving it another go due to a friend's recommendation. Glad I decided to stick it out. Really enjoyed watching the characters interact with and tear each other to pieces over the course of the story. Kingmaker Jude my beloved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, and Bullying

Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Slavery

Minor: Sexual harassment

juliebean666's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/injury detail, Sexual harassment, and Bullying

raypaws's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/injury detail, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, and Drug use

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, and Suicide

Minor: Incest

saola7's review against another edition

challenging lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, Blood, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest

xxkissmybatteryxx's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Spoiler

Jude is drugged via faerie fruit and made to take off her clothes whilst her classmates laugh. She is not in control of herself. They make a few comments about kissing but none occurs. Someone tells her to take off her underwear but she is removed from the situation before it happens. No one touches her at any point.

katiev9beb5's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

1.0

The world-building is interesting. However, I really didn’t enjoy this book overall because of the way abuse is handled. I don’t care how physically attractive someone is: there is nothing sexy about abuse. And trauma is neither sexy nor an excuse for abuse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/injury detail, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

tsar's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0

 “If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.” 

It has been a long time for me to find something that is purely urban when it comes to fae stories as the last urban fae centric novels that I read was the Wicked Lovely series. I hope that all of you remember those sexy ones. So, I was undoubtedly gleeful when I found that Holly Black would release a novel that could possibly be ingrained in a similar euphoric sense.

While I love how it quickly drops into the connotation of political and racial conflict, in which in this case would be the power struggle between the powerful clans of fae as well as the crucial disdain against humans that allow these creatures to play with captured humans like toys, the layers of introduction seem to exhaust the expository factor on describing these details of Elfhame like a heavily parroted narration of general facts. The Cruel Prince drags the narrative to reach a proper climax where the situation would feel realistically threatening that it could justify the semblance of treachery that Jude acts upon her father and half of the royalty she deems as her enemies. In turn, as it finally picks up the pace in the second half of the narrative, it flows in a rushed step that hangs itself in an abrupt ending before it could wholly salivate the height of the struggle.

Her characters are generally likable and interesting, which is a commendable feat in shadowing the drowsy pace of the story. Rather than writing mellow characters beneath tough exterior, Black makes it clear of their personalities and intentions as the way they present them. It might an odd characteristic to be written when the characters are engaging in heinous manipulation, but it does add a certain amount of complexity that draws the readers to seek deeper inside the characters. On the other hand, I may personally dislike the romantic build-up between Jude and Cardan for their quite dangerous undertone, but they do give their charms in captivating the readers. Those who love the classic trope of enemies to lovers would welcome their pairing in full delight.

As the series is about to release a second and third instalment, I hope that Black would rise her ante to keep up the interest of her novels. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Gore, Blood, Murder, Suicide, and War