Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

12 reviews

nialystic's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Genocide, Xenophobia, Gun violence, and War

Moderate: Colonisation, Infidelity, Racism, and Torture

linguaphile412's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Ableism, Racism, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Infidelity and War

Minor: Death of parent

sydapel's review

challenging reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Short and yet deeply contemplative, I was really fascinated by the deep level of observance and perception Kitamura extends to her main character and by extension, the reader. A book about the language and behavior of others, it also speaks about being at a crossroads so powerfully, even if the ending wasn't what I was expecting or maybe hoped for. I really found myself immersed in this person's mind and experiences, and if you're looking for something short to sink into, this is perfect. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Violence, Racism, Murder, Gun violence, Genocide, and Hate crime

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Genocide, Murder, Xenophobia, War, Gun violence, and Sexual harassment

eralbesu's review

challenging fast-paced

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

3.0

I really want to enjoy this book, and there were elements I did enjoy. For instance, I enjoyed reading about The Hague and the trials and the work of an international court interpreter. However, the story felt a bit shallow. Every time I thought I’d discovered the plot line that was going to add more depth to the story, it plateaued. 

All in all, it was a quick read that managed to feel light, despite moments of darker subject matter. Sometimes I need that in a book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, Hate crime, Violence, and Infidelity

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Grief, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Blood, and Cancer

laurensilva's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Death, Genocide, and Gun violence

hkburke2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book felt tightly written and very layered. I love a book that seems to capture something actually TRUE - sometimes it feels like characters are observing and thinking about people in ways no one does in real life, but the narrator here was definitely observable and in her own head in a way that felt so... palpable. I don't know, I see why people feel frustrated with the way dialogue is presented (without quotation marks) and sometimes the long sentences were disorienting, but it all just felt so sharp, to me. And vibrant. And oof. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and War

Minor: Infidelity and Rape

vif's review

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Interesting to read about court proceedings from an interpreter's perspective. 

Also really interesting how you start to see how an interpreter is just a tool and not a person contributing to anything. I felt this was used as an effective metaphor for how women are seen in society. 

However I didn't like reading this book much. It's titled 'intimacies' and it explores many intimate relationships in its many forms but the main character's intimate relationships are all quite negative except with her mum. It makes for quite a depressing read. 

I also didn't understand why she was so infatuated with Anton?? And why did she choose to go back to Adriaan despite how poorly he treated her??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Infidelity

my_plant_library's review

challenging dark reflective medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement and War

Minor: Sexual harassment

quickermorequickly's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Short, thoughtful read about the space between languages, between individual people— even between national jurisdictions (our scene is among the elite interpreters at The Hague, who interpret proceedings in international court). Our heroine even spends weeks alone at someone else's apartment, among unfamiliar belongings. There are big questions here on what human beings owe one another.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Genocide

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, War, and Infidelity

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence