Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Real Life by Brandon Taylor

167 reviews

bofstedal's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual violence

abbyj122's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

The prose is gorgeous. Bummer of a story. Should have a trigger warning for SA. Took a long time to get engaging. There’s not much of an overarching plot that is focused on. Mainly just about the main character struggles  that are emotional, mental, and physical. The statements made about blackness were insightful and relatable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

emk5's review against another edition

sad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

prizazz's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

Wow. Yeah. Real Life is too real in the messiness of the characters. I think I'm going to THINK a lot about this book, but I'm NOT going to want to read it again anytime soon. I like the language and the observations made by the author. He is SO articulate, but the romantic relationship stuff is WAY rough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

I'm not sure with the ending if I should be hopeful or if I should just expect patterns to get repeated, because the author may be implying that and I so HATE that for all the characters, except for Dana, what a jerk!

nova123's review against another edition

• 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? Yes

5.0

Made me cry on the train as well. Very beautiful written book with an extremely emotional depiction of the life of a black gay man in the Midwest ... but also so unhopeful at the end that I'm not sure if I would recommend it 💀 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Classism

hihet's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Grief, and Death of parent

loganmedrano's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

kailinlee's review against another edition

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

squidburger333's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Minor: Rape