Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

157 reviews

chrisljm's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

First of all, everyone who recommended this book is a sick freak. Because why are you people obsessing over this adult/minor grooming relationship. And even if you were to argue that they don't technically get together until the girl is an adult, it's still very strange how often they had to mention her being a "lovesick" teenager. Like that shit made me sick. It was also weird af that there was another (of lesser importance) adult male character that was dating a 16 year old girl. Although the focus was on him locking her in his basement, there didn't seem to be any criticism on him dating teenagers so it's kinda giving obsessed with grooming..

Second of all, why is a white author making a black character talk like that. It's weird enough she made her the stereotypical sassy black best friend, but the fact that the author sat there and typed "oh, naw, girl" as a part of her dialogue is kinda driving me insane. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Kidnapping, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Child death, Torture, Death of parent, and Confinement

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Slavery

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Violence, Cursing, and Trafficking

Moderate: Rape, Stalking, Child abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

Minor: Bullying and Death of parent

kaadee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Abandonment, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Child abuse, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

crxwnpeach's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted 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

5.0

It felt like an abridged version of ACOTAR and I LOVED IT. The pacing was perfect, check TW's before reading, but it was lovely. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Rape

Moderate: Death of parent, Slavery, and Child death

emgibby's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

beesnodgrass's review against another edition

The love story didn’t quite grab me - 16 yr old / an underage love wasn’t doing it for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault and Pedophilia

Minor: Rape

blondie3300's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Kidnapping, Rape, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Cursing, Alcohol, and Sexual assault

genesisj_13's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad fast-paced

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

3.25

I devoured this book. The majority of the story is unraveling the origins and progression of the bargainer and Callie as well as the progression of their relationship after they had been separated for 7 years. The background mystery of what is going wrong in the night court could have used more development (although i believe this is to come in the books sequels.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Pregnancy

erin_young's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, and Vomit

marimoose's review

dark emotional tense medium-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

3.5

It's clear this book kept my attention, especially since I blitzed it in roughly two days. I think a lot of that was due to the familiarity of the tropes and plot involved. I've seen the comparisons of the Bargainer to Rhysand, but I feel like Des was a conglomeration of a Rhysand and an Adam Hauptman with the ethereal looks of a Malfoy just sprinkled in there. The plot and mystery itself took a back seat to the romance (we get flashbacks to seven years prior) between Callie and Des, which I found worked to develop the characters' relationships to each other. But at the same time, I wished we actually got to see Callie AND Des be more wicked, monstrous, and badass. 

I felt like there could have been much more done with Callie's talents, and the Bargainer beads--while constantly prominent throughout most of the story--are only offhand mentions to move and explain a crucial turn in the climax (which could have been done better). I honestly wished Callie had more agency at the end, too, because while yes,

Spoiler

Des coming in to save the day was oddly satisfying, but Callie not helping out and going after the big bad with her siren ferocity was a wasted opportunity. Only in fantasies do we usually get sexual predators being utterly eviscerated by the supernatural love interests, but it's also high time for the assaulted to take their power back in a similar cathartic release.

I will definitely pick up the rest of the trilogy at some point, because my hope is we get to see more of Des and Callie actually showing their badassery.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence and Sexual content

Minor: Rape