Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

Witching Hour by Anne Rice

31 reviews

leveledmouse's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Violence and Abortion

comfycozytomes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.25

In all honesty this book may have been written/published in 1990 but how the characters were portrayed and how they behaved it felt like it was from the 50s. This book did not draw me in at all initially like I thought it would--I love witchy books, I love dark books. I didn't really like this book until I got to the actual history of the family shortly before the half-way mark (I don't think we needed a 45 paged chapter on Michael's entire backstory...I found Rita's backstory more interesting than his, my god). Only then things sped up for me. 

That history was the most compelling aspect to me. I didn't even really like the characters until after the half-way mark and even then my like/dislike fluctuated; which may have also been the point that the characters are not supposed to be entirely likeable, idk. Also the Talamasca is an utterly useless organization. They bemoan the devastation wrought on women/those with supernatural gifts and they HAVE the wealth and influence to interfere yet they do nothing...? They KNEW what was happening in that house, to the legacies of the Mayfair powers, and they stood by and did nothing...? They suspected there was incest/rape/abuse under that roof/within that family...and just stood by and did NOTHING...? Disgusting imo. 

I also think I would have liked this book more if it had been centered on breaking the generational trauma the Mayfair family had endured, as it seemed that was the path it was going, the total change/swerve away from that was utterly disappointing. Though I also understand breaking through that kind of trauma is difficult. Perhaps that is also addressed/a main aspect of the later books in the series. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, and Rape

lilisilver's review against another edition

I sniffed a pregnancy trope and decided to put it down. Definitely an interesting book with some hefty topics to consider. It was just a bit too heavy-handed for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Abortion

rumireads's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

barbsantos's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

This book could've been 1/3 of what it is and it'd be fine.
Also it's pretty disturbing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual assault

mr_sosotris's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

A sweeping tour de force. Ghost story, doomed romance, Southern gothic. 

I love how Anne Rice sets up this sweeping tragic, horrifying family history, and leaves the reader wondering just how true any of the gossip and legends surrounding the Mayfairs really is. Questions of free will entwine throughout this massive story, and the reader is left uncertain of what is actually true until the novel’s final moments. 

Lasher is a compelling, mysterious figure existing in the background and possibly pulling the strings throughout the centuries, and Rice beautifully weaves a complex tapestry of human drama, populated by fun, tragic, hopeful characters. 

I love Rowan and Michael, and I like how each character’s specific strengths and flaws play into how the story plays out. There’s no easy answers, and the mysteries are compelling. I love this book so much!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Murder

curlygirl715's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape

aemiliagunning's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

5.0

It’s like reading a history book on the Mayfair family. Anne Rice put in as much detail as she could when describing their lives going back hundreds of years. The characters are lovable in a strange way because they are all equally very flawed and corrupt by their past and their ancestry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape

foreverinastory's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

Damn that was long as fuck.

Rep: white female MC, white bisexual male side character, Black side characters, white achillean male side character.

CWs: Adult/minor relationship, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, blood, death, death of parent, drug use w/o consent, forced institutionalization, incest (many times), injury/injury detail, medical content, mental illness, misogyny, murder, pedophilia, pregnancy, rape & coercion, religious bigotry, sexism, sexual assault, sexual content, suicide (two times), violence. Moderate: racism, homophobia/homomisia, grief.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Grief

martyrdomx5's review against another edition

dark mysterious relaxing slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infertility, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry