Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Gleam by Raven Kennedy

17 reviews

hanreadssbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

“she's a burst of light in my dark, erupting life in the rotting depths 

of my soul. she is everything i don't deserve. but i'm going to keep her anyway.”

the feminine rage in this book was so beautifully written. i feel for auren and i hope she gets what she deserves when all is said and done, because this girl deserve the whole world. i could not put this down once i picked it up again (other reads got in the way, i fear) and there were so many twists and turns near the end that had my jaw dropping like crazy. i think i was sweating and having heart palpitations for the last third of the book lol. this was so. freaking. good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual assault and Torture

Minor: Addiction, Infertility, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

rasha_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Gaslighting

crystalfaery's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol

hmb86's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Pregnancy and War

byeolbun's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, and Blood

bangiebangs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

Yes, this book finally delivers. You get all the steamy spice, the romance, the tension, and the twists. That, but heed the CNs again - where the last one was tamer, this one is pretty heavy, especially if you're sensitive to drug use and abuse. Spice, would say 4/5!

I read this one in one sitting again, and I feel like the story keeps picking up steam! The romance between Auren and Slade blossoms into steamy sex (dare I say: finally the slow burn is over!), and the first big story arc feels wrapped up. The book still ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but the main arcs are finished. 

There are a couple pretty intense themes in this one.

For me, the drug abuse - especially the scenes where Auren gets drugged - were pretty intense. This, along with the physical and psychological abuse is a severe mix.

Overall really good! I'm beginning to think you can skip book 1 (and maybe read a synopsis, or not), and just start with book 2. This could have been a duology. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Slavery and Torture

midnacine's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This is absolutely my favorite book in the series, it wrenches my heart out every fucking time. Not a big fan of the narrators' performances in this one- I don't think Blake Lockhart reads women's voices well, so that took me out of the smut, and Zara Eden's inflection and pronunciation choices were strange at best. Narration I'd probably give a 3.75/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexism, Trafficking, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief, and War

mspilesofpaper's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

1.0

I’m in so much pain because of this fucking book/series and I will never get the hype about it. But then … it’s fucking booktok, so I should know by now that every hyped up booktok book is bullshit.

1) A lot happens but a minimum is actual plot. Most is Auren's rambling/musing and sex. Bad sex. The kind of sex where I wonder if the author ever had sex. Also dick girth. The kind where it’s so massive that I would worry about the vagina (either because it’s so big and thick that it’s unbelievable or where the woman has the body of a child). Also the dirty talk is so cringy. 

2) Why does everyone think that Rip/Slate is the villain? 

3) By now, Rip/Slate should know that Auren has zero control over her power/any understanding of fae things and yet he acts as if she does.

4) The last fucking chapters. I wish indie authors would have best friends who would read those books pre-publishing and tell them that they shouldn’t write this shit because major yikes that can’t even be brushed off with "it’s a 18+ book!".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

haunting_bluejay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense 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

5.0

Holy shit. So initially I found Gild and Glint kinda meh, i enjoyed Glint more that Gild though, but felt those two could have been one book. But holy shit did I love Gleam. Watching Auren both literally and metaphorically break out of her cage was stunning. And the manipulation and abuse from Midas was way too accurate, speaking from experience. Im so excited for my copy of Glow to arrive now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse

shannon_magee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

2.0

Up until about 80% this book was reading as the best of the series so far (despite an aggressive amount of analogies in the writing that made it a struggle to read. You could tell they wanted to be lyrical and meaningful, perfect for a blurb or social media quote, but there were just too many of them and they were too extended, clunking up the narrative. The pace also seemed highly confused, which wound up contributing to a clunky narrative). Unfortunately, at around 84%, this book became a dumping ground for trauma porn. Extensive trauma porn, in an already unabashedly trauma-tastic series. And the payoff is never satisfying enough to make going through the gleefully awful events in this book worth it. Every time I read a book in this series, I’m excited by the potential of the premise and the characters, and every time the writing is overdone and the dramatics so heightened it just leaves be hollow and disappointed. I truly don’t understand why the romantasy community is so happy with this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail