Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Du bout des doigts by Sarah Waters

14 reviews

imds's review against another edition

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

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

zeus_strider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Blood, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

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

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

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

kpwxx's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Dementia, Stalking, Abortion, and Deportation

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.0

(another library audiobook rental) 

i definitely would have enjoyed this more if i read a physical copy, but the audiobook was also very good! 

this is a fantastic lesbian classic that really appealed to my historical fiction fan brain. the details of the culture/customs era and setting were really fun and added some levity to the darker plots. 

Sue’s perspective in parts one and the end of part three were hilarious, but the scenes at the asylum were honestly nauseating at times. Maud’s point of view was less funny, more thoughtful and romantic. I loved that she had feelings for Sue before Sue realized her own feelings. 

several of the plot twists were brutal, though i admit i spoiled many of them through impatient googling. the pacing was about right, and the romantic element kept me on my toes the entire time. although i really liked living in each character’s head, some parts did drag on and on, which is why this only gets a 4/5 from me. 

overall, i enjoyed the complexity of how each woman felt about themselves and each other, their clear motivations, their unique histories, and their satisfying, poetic ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

aduqu's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

Thoroughly enjoyable, and definitely a page turner! There was twist after twist, and each twist colored the events before it differently. 

It didn't quite reach 5 stars for me because it did drag a bit in the middle, but otherwise was a captivating read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Fatphobia