Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

44 reviews

ellariawrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Murder, and Dysphoria

Minor: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Dysphoria

goosegrimm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

4.75

Really direct and engaging, I very much liked the author's voice. They are very skilled at getting you inside of the heads of the characters. Well worth the read and I am excited to see how they develop. I am impressed that this is their first work of published fiction and yet they've managed to create such an engaging world. Highly recommend for fellow readers of Tasymin Muir's work and people who appreciate a dark story.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Be warned, this book is serious when talking about institutionalized misogyny and all of the ways it can be taken to its extremes. There is ALOT of death in this book. It is treated as seriously as death and violence should be. If you are sensitive to violence, especially gendered violence, please review the content warnings carefully before picking up this book.

missindyrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

djdembeck's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.5

Basically hunger games in a different culture and timeline, aside from the games portion.

The book lacked imagery, and it felt as though I couldn't 'see' any of the world, I was just hearing the dialogue. This is unfortunate, because some parts seemed interesting.

The author clearly has something against men, which feels like the sentiment of hunger games’ Katniss, x10. 

I’m not particularly well versed in LGBTQ stuff, but the story right away started with the main character complaining about people's perception of gender fluidity. It felt like those movies/tv-shows that get political when it’s unrealistic and/or outside the reasonable scope of the plot: forced and immersion-breaking
Also confusing because she continually complains about men, and then goes on to enter a polyam relationship with 2 of them, so the entire position was mute.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Alcohol