Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair

112 reviews

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

hi_im_tate's review against another edition

funny hopeful sad 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

3.5

I had to deduct a star because *fuck* Persephone is so much like a college freshman. You can tell this is her first relationship. But that's what makes it so juicy. 

There is just so much to this book that I wouldn't have expected. Everything with Apollo (almost cried during his scene with his lover), meeting Leuce and learning more about her, the abduction, the proposal (s), the ending. It all intertwined beautifully for me. There were several times when I had to pull away from this book because it was just *so god damn good*. The love and passion Hades and Persephone share really, really touches my heart.

The author's note mentions learning more about Hades' life in the Upperworld and what he does. I am very excited for this because I just want to slurp up every piece of lore I can get about Hades. He loves so beautifully and fiercely, and I *need* to know what makes him tick.

There are some very prominent characters we have yet to meet. Where does Zeus stand in all of this? Poseidon? What's going on with Aphrodite? So many questions, so few answers.

Please make sure to read content warnings for this book. It'll make it easier.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide attempt, Murder, and War

majormnkey's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

3.25

Unlike many others, it seems, I like this book better than the previous (A Touch of Darkness). 
It explores more of the main character and other characters beside the love interest, although maybe in a slightly chaotic way. Persephone’s is still whiny and frankly annoying though, and she hardly learns from her mistakes. 

Some parts were spicy when there was more need for proper conversation and exploration of each others feelings. 
Also some relationships with the characters did a 180 degree spin without proper incentive. One day they felt this way, the next they felt the total opposite. But overall I liked where they went with the story. 

The only thing that felt really off was one of the spicy scenes in the latter half of the book where a momentous event had taken place and they STILL chose to do a spicy scene almost immediately after, WHILE having a conversation about that specific event. It pulled my mind out of the book, because it felt disrespectful and like the opposite of what the main character would do in that situation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Suicide, Torture, Car accident, and War

emr2220's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Car accident

sophiecountsclouds's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

shan_lou's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide

zias's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

samandthebookstack's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I first read this back in 2022 and started a series re-read in preparation for the release of the remaining books in the series. I enjoyed the books in this series the first time around, but the second read made me love the characters more. 

I think when dealing with stories based on Greek mythology specifically, it's important to remember that one of the hallmarks of the original stories themselves is how flawed the gods truly are. In these original stories, the gods display flaws that are considered very human and these flaws often set them up for great strife or failure. I really like that Scarlett has preserved that even more in this book specifically. Persephone loves the upperworld, but she really doesn't understand what it means to be mortal and she clearly struggles with the notion that she IS a goddess and regardless of how much she wishes to be different than the other gods, there will be things she cannot help. Hades and Persephone both struggle to communicate properly with one another and that lack of communication causes them both great pain but we get to see them begin to explore ways to avoid those issues. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide, Kidnapping, and Car accident

coy_koi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

Oh my days I did not expect this book to be better than the first. The way Persephone struggles so much and is able to come out of it stronger is so inspiring. I feel like for once the sequel was better! Persephone went on a hard journey and every page was intense and made me want to read so much more to find out what happened. I love the girl’s relationships and how they all help each other out despite their differences or previous biases. It’s a nice change from other books that implore female empowerment and yet make the main character hate other girls. It’s been a while since I was able to read a book so quickly because I enjoyed it so much!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Sexual assault

thrntnja's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide and Gaslighting