Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

8 reviews

moxjkar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

taaniasill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

arixsuu's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense 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

5.0

An amazing book to start this year. I don't think I can find anything like this one. Best book of the year by far, or one of the best in any case. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

vvabecca's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow. I have never read so fast in my life. This book consumed my life completely. I still don't know how the author managed to help me keep track of over 42 characters, but I loved reading about every. Single. One. 

I was worried this book would just be violence for the sake of it, but the thought experiments and human relationships and friendships shown throughout gave it so much to digest.

It's got everything you could want and more! If you're not faint of heart and love a dystopia then I'd highly recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

seventhcr0w's review against another edition

4.0

japierdole XDDDDDDDDDDD ryje psyche

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Sexual assault, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Stalking

perthalus's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

Brutal, intelligent, and politically biting, Battle Royale absolutely flies by with its fleeting snapshots of different lives and deaths. It connects you to characters you may only stick with for a few pages, yet it all feels relevant to the themes, story-world, and overall narrative.

I’ve seen the film adapt more than once before, and reading the original book provided so many pieces of context and extra character bits that made reading it entirely worth it. Koushun Takami absolutely nails the action. Even knowing what happens doesn’t remove from the intensity and suspense provided by each encounter, and god, what a premise. 

I especially love Kazuo Kiriyama’s gang, though I wish Kazuo himself got a little more background towards the end, but that may just be my bias talking. And I also love Shogo Kawada because… I don’t know, I just love him, okay? 🫶🏻 Now that I think about it, there isn’t a character I don’t really like, maybe besides Shinji, though even he has his moments. But Mitsuko, Kazuo, Shogo, Shuya, Hiroki, Chigusa, and Noriko are all characters I absolutely love.

I will say that the action can ride the edge between believable and ridiculous, especially when characters do somersaults mid-fight. And on top of that, Shinji’s computer jargon and his exposition on pre-established information made his chapters a little repetitive, but other than that I can’t pick out any glaring problems with the book or it’s story.

Overall, it’s a book that is still incredibly entertaining, shocking, and politically powerful as it was when it was first released, and it only made my appreciation grow for the story and the film adaptation.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Homophobia, Suicide, Trafficking, and Classism

and_the_ocean_burned's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail