Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

62 reviews

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Odotin koko ajan kuunnellessani milloin kirjan toiminta lähtee käyntiin, eikä se oikein ikinä lähtenyt. Valitettavasti hienosta miljööstä ja potentiaalista huolimatta teos oli pettymys.

Parantola on thriller, mutta kallistuu minusta ehkä hieman enemmän mysteerin puolelle. Mitään henkeäsalpaavaa jännitystä ei ole luvassa. Teos on Pearse ensimmäinen, ja esikoisteokseksi se on kuitenkin varsin kelvollinen. 

Rikostutkija Elin saapuu Sveitsin Alpeille juhlimaan veljensä Isaacin kihlajaisia. Juhlapaikkana toimii luksushotelliksi muutettu entinen tuberkuloosiparantola. Pian Isaacin morsian katoaa ja Alpeilta löydetään ruumis. Sään huonontuessa hotellivieraat joutuvat eristyksiin muusta maailmasta ja tappaja alkaa toteuttaa kostoaan. 

Päähenkilö Elin on menneisyyden piinaama. Hän on työstään virkavapaalla erään häntä järkyttäneen tapauksen jälkeen. Lisäksi Eliniä piinaavat tapahtumat vuosien takaa ja hän haluaa saada veljeltään Isaacilta vastauksia. Elin on haavoittuvainen hahmo, mutta yrittää kuitenkin pyristellä irti menneisyytensä kahleista. Muut hahmot nähdään Elinin perspektiivin kautta. 

Aluksi kirjailijan rauhallinen tyyli ja lukijan ääni toimi hyvin tunnelman luomiseksi. Verkkainen tyyli kuitenkin jatkuu läpi teoksen, jolloin jännityksen ytimeen ei oikein kunnolla päästä. Loppujen lopuksi kirjasta jäi sellainen vaikutelma, että asioita tehtiin vain estetiikan takia, jännittävien visuaalisten elementtien hakemiseksi siinä tapauksessa jos kirjasta tehtäisiin filmatisointi. 

Spoilereita!

En oikein missään vaikeessa päässyt sinuiksi Elinin toimintatapojen kanssa. Hän tekee henkilöistö ja tapahtumista usein vääriä tulkintoja, jotka osoittautuvat kohtalokkaiksi. Samat kuviot toistuvat useaan otteeseen. Lisäksi Elin käyttäytyy varsin omavaltaisesti tutkiessaan tapausta ja on vaikea kuvitella että hän selviäisi siitä noin vain ilman perusteellisia kuulusteluja.

Loppuratkaisu oli pettymys. Motiivin yhteys tuberkuloosiparantolan tapahtumiin oli heikko. Lisäksi oli epäuskottavaa miten monta ihmistä tapaukseen oli sotkeutunut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Dementia, Abortion, Death of parent, and Alcohol

keppers_jax's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

EXCELLENT IN AUDIO! Elizabeth Knowelden is an extremely talented narrator who seems to master many accents (flavors of British, French, German, American) and, at least to my American ear, also speaks flawless French and some German. 

As for the book, I struggled with how to rate this one. I enjoyed the story, but so much of it I was angry with the recklessness of the MC. In the end, I'm going with 4 stars because I enjoyed the story, there were several heart-pounding moments where I may have been holding my breath and though I figured out who the villain was, I didn't figure everything out. Plus, the Epilogue left me wanting more! Can't wait to read the next in this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Gore, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Minor: Infertility, Rape, and Abortion

lizjellig's review

dark mysterious fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Blood and Abortion

t_barnett207's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Abortion

ossington's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Blood, and Murder

Minor: Cursing and Abortion

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Really interesting murder mystery. I didn’t know the bad guy until it was revealed and honestly hadn’t even considered the culprit for that role. I couldn’t put this one down — stayed up til the wee hours reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bekah1210's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Child death and Rape

Minor: Mental illness and Abortion

magical_mads'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

1.5

The characters were very unlikable and frustrating. There were at least four or five plot twists within the last 100 pages. The motivations behind the murders made no sense. And then there was a feminist twist thrown in at the very end so that the author could make some social commentary or some thing, which was handled very poorly (in my opinion). I’m so disappointed because this kind of premise/commentary is 100% sent the thing that I normally go for. But this book is a no for me.

Also, I hated how in the topic of rape was treated in this book. It felt like it was shoved in as a last minute plot twist. It should never be treated like that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

hannahloveslit's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, Abortion, and Death of parent