Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

15 reviews

jillianforster's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Colonisation

hannahri0's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

jordanbolker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This book definitely got better throughout. But I admitted that the language that the book is written is a little difficult to comprehend. But loved all the longing and slow burn that occurs between Maren and Ursa and felt happy when they had that one night together. It was a good story and historice fiction novel and I appreciated the historical note at the end to summarize everything.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Colonisation, and Classism

nyk4envy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I enjoyed this book immensely. The writing and language was something to get used to, but once I did, I saw it for it’s beauty. A tragic story of pain and love and survival. It can only reflect on the current state of our world. Being prosecuted, oppressed, losing and grieving, finding yourself grounded by loves in your life. It was incredible to read, sometimes I couldn’t put it down. Sometimes I needed to put it down. I cried with the characters, I raged with them. 
Incredible story based on a far away tragedy and I couldn’t have asked for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

mxawprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Colonisation

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Weirdly, this is the 3rd or 4th witch hunt/burnings book I’ve read this year. This is really well written and interesting, and does a great job of character development and crafting the remote setting. It is also stressful (check content warnings), as witch hunt books usually are!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual violence

Persecution, false accusations, witch hunt, drowning

prideandparchment's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Torture and Violence

paniquemecanique's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I would have rated it a 4 right after reading it but I just keep coming back to it in my mind. It was long and a bit hard to finish (shout out to my short attention span girlies) but it was a wild and beautiful ride.
This is a historical book based off real facts that takes place in Lapland in the 1800's, about the big european witch hunt, the colonization of the indigenous Sami people, and about a matriarchy. The characters are deep and nuanced and beautiful, and the whole story forces you to be fully there with them in every moment.
KMH is a divine autress who writes so intensely and beautifully, it is very hard not to be haunted by the book (I am writing this months after finishing it and I cant forget the most thrilling parts ).
Absolutely recommended,  but be very mindful of the TW. It is a hard and truthful story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Colonisation

emeraldjulep's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A beautiful, but bleak cautionary tale for our time. This island of women and what happens with, and to, them will stick with me for a long time. The story is artfully told on the Audible version. The narrator has a Scandinavian accent as well which I felt added an authentic atmosphere to the story (and pronounced all the names I would have have never gotten right). I would recommend reading The Mercies in any format.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Torture

decie's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

this could have been so good but

as soon as they arrested the friend it went downhill SO FAST. devastating. and I know it's historically accurate for it to be devastating, but tbh i want all books to give all queer people happy endings.

...definitely check the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death and Miscarriage