Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Du bout des doigts by Sarah Waters

33 reviews

leontyna's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

It was surprisingly readable for such a long book! I didn't anticipate the direction it would take at all, I couldn't stop reading once I finished the first part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

heckin_hello's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.25

I understand why this book is considered a romance, but in my opinion the main story is a story about thieves and morally grey individuals with a subplot of romance.

I found this book hard to work through, if I'm honest. You could probably cut out 100 pages in the middle of the story and not significantly affect it overall. I was shocked by how unlikable literally every single person was as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If you know me, you'll know that I love dark and complex storytelling and Fingersmith fits both to a T!

We follow Sue and Maud, one grew up with a group of thieves in the heart of London and the other was raised by a book obsessed man. There is plotting and scheming, there's questionable morals, a lot of tension, and slow burning passion. 

If you like complex stories where there isn't clear good and bad characters, full of original ideas and an impecable storytelling style, this is for you! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

fran2567's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Amazingly written, sometimes a bit dark, but worth to keep reading for the incredible plot. Great plottwist and development of women characters. Shows women in the complexity of who they, plays with the ‘saint’ or ‘harlot’ stereotype that tents to be put on women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia

If you have trauma of forced institutionalisation or sexual abuse by a family member, then I would not recommend this book. It does have a happy ending and the main characters reclaim their trauma.

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

ranbara's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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

So facking good. What can I say.

It made me giddy. It made me blush, worse than before. It was like liquor. It made me drunk. I drew away. When her breath came now upon my mouth, it came very cold. My mouth was wet, from hers. I said, in a whisper,
'Do you feel it?'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, and Racial slurs

nicnymh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It’s a good book in that it was well written, but as a book that is constantly touted as strong queer representation I was disappointed and a little horrified. Readers looking for healthy functional sapphic relationships or storylines should run in the opposite direction. Reads like it was written by a violent man who hates women, especially lesbians. Intense and pervasive sexual harassment of a teen by a family member, grooming and predator behavior. It’s intense, be warned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

erynlasbelin's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

There aren't enough stars for this book. The writing is gorgeous: the historical elements are well done, the atmosphere is vivid, and the two protagonists have such distinct voices. All the primary characters are complex, realistic, frustrating, sympathetic - even the villains. And the twists! I can't remember the last time a novel kept me on the edge of my seat like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

vagrantheather's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

Absolutely adored everything about this Victorian con artist story.

It was sold to me as a lesbian romance. I would not bill it that way lol; there is a bit of a romance but this is not a romance book. It has one sex scene, which is not explicit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Blood

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Eating disorder, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol