Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Hex by Jenni Fagan

15 reviews

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

rubybeast47's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Torture, Violence, Hate crime, Child death, Body horror, Blood, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Genocide, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Racism, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Ableism, and Child abuse

malefice's review

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Murder, and Torture

terelee's review

dark reflective slow-paced

3.0

The book is really original, poetic and I like that is based in Geilis Duncan's story. It also has some interesting twists on the Iris part. 

But sometimes it was too dense, full of paragraphs that were one page long and feminism ideas kind of forced into the reader. I mean I do understand the injustices of being a woman in that time (and now) without all the explanations about us having lights that attracts darkness and similar thoughts. 

It was a really slow read, I thought about not finishing it but I'm glad I did because the revelations about Iris and the ending were nicely written. It is obviously a dark and angry story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Rape

bloomlove's review

challenging emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexism, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, and Death

williamgideon's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, and Sexual violence