Reviews tagging 'Death'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

41 reviews

zeus_strider's review

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

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

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

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

kayleamber's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Murder, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Medical trauma

Implied sexual abuse

kelsiepixler's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Sarah Waters is an absolute master of plot twists. My favorite thing about her books, specifically this book, is how the plot twists are unexpected but also really fit the story. Reading this book kept me on the edge of my seat as I was never quite sure what would happen next. At one point the anticipation got the best of me, and I googled the book. Despite "ruining" the ending of the book, I was still hooked because the story just continued to play out in ways I didn't expect even considering the spoilers I had read.  I am eagerly anticipating my next Sarah Waters read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual content and Sexual violence

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

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

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

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

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

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

cordiaelly's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• 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: Death

Moderate: Homophobia

outerscout's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

found it slow to get started but once it did...absolutely bonkers. the final part, especially the first ~60 pages, was difficult to get through & i wish we had

more of maud and susan together before the ending

but i understand why this is the case. will be thinking about this book for a long time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Murder, Alcohol, Mental illness, Child death, Death, and Sexual content

eirianz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

Quite simply, one of the most enthralling novels I have ever had the pleasure to read. I could not rip myself from the book! 

So many twists and turns; the plot unleashes emotional turbulence like nothing else. The characters are fantastic - so much depth and subtlety. The perspective-play is rewarding. 

I cannot recommend this book enough! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Bullying, Ableism, Blood, and Child abuse

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The setting and the characters shine in this. It feels very Sweeney Todd, dark and dirty London. The characters are well-rounded, surprising, likeable, and compelling.
I wasn't on board with the perspective change mid-book during reading it but now recognize the complexity it allowed the book to portray.
It really kept me guessing and kept me invested in Sue's and Maud's life. The twists and turns and the character development had me picturing this as a movie in my mind.
It's really giving on so many fronts: there's a queer love story, a betrayal plot, a mystery, mistaken identities, an asylum, a murder.
This is definitely for fans of Frannie Langton and Sally Lockhart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Sexism

Moderate: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Transphobia