Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton

27 reviews

lottiegasp's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

It was full of action and thrills so it's a real page turner, especially the second half. The dialogue is heightened and fantastical rather than realistic, which I found irritating at times but I largely enjoyed the writing

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault and Kidnapping

peachybee53's review against another edition

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

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

5.0

It's difficult to put into words, but this book has reminded me to believe in art and magic and love of all kinds. Trent Dalton has a really beautiful way of twisting darkness and beauty together in a way that feels both poetic and like a genuine reflection of real-life.

Our protagonist is endearing, honest, creative, intuitive, curious and determined. A dreamer whose ultimate goal is to find herself. She has the ability to see strangers in their quiet moments and wants nothing more than to be seen in return.

Some favourite quotes:

"The world turns for us all. One day you'll wake up and you'll realise the world has turned back upright for you and every bad thing you didn't deserve on the downside is made up for by every good thing rushing at you on the upside. You'll look up one day and see some face and suddenly it'll all make sense and all that bad downside stuff will seem entirely necessary. It'll just be ordinary life, it'll just be the normal turning of the world, but it'll feel miraculous to you. It'll feel engineered for you. It'll feel designed, drawn up by one of those crazy sketches you do. You'll call it fate. You'll say it was meant to be. And maybe it was. Because that's all the world was ever meant to do. Turn. And you were meant to turn with it."

"Lucky moon, she told herself, because every moon you see is lucky because you are still alive to see it."

"When you scream 'colourful' underwater it looks and sounds like you're screaming 'I love you." 

"Being alive is a thing that you touch and see and feel. As real a thing as electricity. Do you feel that? It's The Alive."

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment

dunk1n's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Domestic abuse

bea_frankie's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

3.75

I would say that LITM had many aspects that made me enjoy it immensely - captivating characters, stories of hope, complicated relationships and situations, and generally a beautiful story. I did however feel, that sometimes it dragged on, went down rabbit holes that were slightly unnecessary and dialogue that was sometimes overdone. None of this really mattered and by the end I was thoroughly captivated and in love with this book, I think maybe just the middle section needed to be tightened up.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

kayla_jade94's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

rhibeetle17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

3.5

Overall enjoyed it and the mystery was enough to entice me towards the ending, but somewhat overly sentimental, saccharine and unrealistic in places. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Kidnapping

gillzzzo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? No

4.5

Took me a little bit of time to get into because (like all Trent Dalton books) it’s a little bit weird at times. Really ramped up towards the end though. 

Very creative and quite emotional!! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Rape and Kidnapping

prime_minister_dinkleson's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Alcohol

whatzoreads's review

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

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

baikiebookie's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

My favourite Trent Dalton book! The pace was medium for most of the time and then it gets fast towards the end. Other Trent dalton books make me lose my focus half way through, but the pacing is much more steady. I love the geographical references. Other books did this a bit too much, but I didn’t feel it with this one. 

I didn’t get the whole police officer saying it’s the saddest story ever heard. The story was saddest but didn’t live up to the hype of the saddest story ever.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment