Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

149 reviews

black_cat_iiix's review

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

indy_go_go22's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful 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

3.75

The pacing was a little odd. I think this book might have tried to tackle too much in too few pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture, Violence, Trafficking, and War

dreamingandendless's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

Spectacular. Literarily spectacular. 
Hateful, loathsome characters and an all-powerful AI meet. Said AI destroyed earth for "the greater good" under the control of a loathsome fuck. 
The POV character is a fascist stooge who thinks she is the best around and gobbles the propaganda sent at her. I hated almost everybody in the book. This is the first time that I've read the "they're all loathsome hateful little people" trope. 
I don't wanna spoil anything, because I feel like going into it blind is the best way to fully enjoy it. 
Some mild spoilers ahead, if you want to get a gist of what the plot is:

Basically, the Edge of Tomorrow (sci fi groundhog Day) but on a universal scale and where the lesson is, that we're all people. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and War

knatreads501's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Biphobia, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Lesbophobia, and War

oa_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

ceruleanseas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Slavery, Trafficking, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

cryosphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

I've had this on my TBR for awhile but decided to read it after it won the Hugo (for whatever that's worth nowadays...)

At first, I wasn't sure what I was expecting, I didn't know much about it other than it was space opera adjacent and the book premise from the cover. The main character, Kyr, was super frustrating and she was horrible to the point that I was NOT rooting for her. But after a bit you realize that's definitely what the intent was. Tesh wants you to be uncomfortable and see through the eyes of this person who has such strong beliefs. It twists the story on it's head about half way through and I was hooked. 

The world building is good, it's emotional, and deals with a lot of big issues and is jammed packed. It's well executed, the redemption arc is one for the ages. I wish there had been a little more at the end to really bring the whole thing together. It kind of wraps up and ends quickily.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape

stripedwolfie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, and Gaslighting

valjeanval's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I ended up pretty mixed on this one. At first, I was really bored. The lawful neutral protagonist who can't get a clue in a dystopia that just didn't make any sense.

You want the human race to survive by both training women for war and also relegating them to a breeding harem? And you are controlled breeding people but also have sex as much as you want with the concubines but being gay is not ok? I see the inspiration in other controlled societies, but this one seemed like it shouldn't have lasted 2 years, especially with a leader as lacking in charisma or skills as Jole.

It feels like the message of the book is a good one, but for me that message superseded the actual writing, and made the story as a whole fall a bit flat for me. It still won the Hugo, and while it wouldn't have been my pick, I see why it got the nomination. The aliens are good, the plot once you're off of Gaea station is intriuging, and the pace is sharp. As a rule though, I just kept coming back to the fact that I didn't really enjoy spending time with any of the characters, and that this was one of the dumber dystopias out there, built more to highlight reality's flaws than because it makes sense for the world-building.

So yeah, I'm going with 4 stars because it was better than a lot of things I give three stars, but overall kind of meh.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

nikshelby's review

DNF — I only made it to the Content Warning. Some other day I may be in the mood for rape, suicide, abuse, forced pregnancy (and I don’t know what else)…but today is not that day. 

It’s highly rated, and came from recommenders I listen to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide