Reviews tagging 'Death'

Hex by Jenni Fagan

28 reviews

kirstym25's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Sexual violence, and Torture

n_odonnell's review

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, and Violence

brittanymcmcmc's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Child death, Rape, Child abuse, and Death

wytherwytch's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I found this quite a disappointing and difficult read. The sentences are a bit abstract and run on and I kind of got a bit lost trying to read it. It didn't hold my attention enough even though the premise was good and interesting. There's loads that didn't make sense to me like it was gatekeeping something. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Grief, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Death

Minor: Classism

empross's review

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Violence, Abortion, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

annemaries_shelves's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

An absolutely perfect (albeit dark) read while on vacation in Edinburgh this summer.

It's dark and violent and sad, as we spend 100 pages with Geillis Duncan, a witch imprisoned in 1591 for witchcraft, as she meets with a witch named Iris from the future. Fagan packs a lot in about womanhood, gender expectations and roles, classism and power dynamics, religion, and the culpability of society in allowing these witch burnings to happen. As expected, it gets a little heavy-handed at times, but considering the limitations of a novella (and the beautiful writing), I'm fine with it.

I really appreciated Geillis and Iris's dynamic and relationship - it was lovely to read. 

Definitely recommend as a short, dark read about the realities of witch hunts.

CW: graphic descriptions of torture (including rape), imprisonment, death by hanging.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Rape, and Confinement

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Death, and Classism

medini_l's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Torture, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

focaccia's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Torture, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

emolr's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Sexism, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, and Rape

crazytourists_books's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

A very sad book that leaves a huge weight on your chest.. 
The idea to let Geillis Duncan tell her story had so much potential, but I think the writer wanted so badly to pinpoint the cruelty, the injustices, the violence of men against women of all time, that it got too didactic, and made the narration weaker...
And let's not forget; we are the daughters and grandaughters of the women they didn't manage to kill, to break, to burn...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Torture