Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis

22 reviews

tgyll's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug use

Moderate: Addiction

not_to_day's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Blood, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Stalking, Alcohol, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Homophobia

Minor: Addiction

nomonbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-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

2.5

This was well written, I just didn't like it. I didn't enjoy the gore and the tone or the people. I wanted to keep reading and that's pretty significant given what I didn't enjoy but also I'm so so glad I finally finished it. People who like thrillers may like this.

Also in regards to what happened (spoilers for ending)

I am like 100% sure in my mind at least that the trawler were the adult cult members and this was a story about a bunch of messed up kids left to their own devices too much, not cared for and adultified resulting in horrible conclusions. Everyone (of the children) was a victim here. The violent crime we see on page committed by a child is Brett murdering Robert. And that was a huge failure of every adult involved that let it get to that point. (And I know he's old enough to take responsibility for that somewhat but as with any crime in the real world committed by a 16 year old thecl context is so so important - and I know Robert has been accused of sexual abuse and I'm not absolving him from that responsibility but acknowledging that he was a victim here too from his father, and from the cult).

I don't think Brett attacked Susan and Thom, as it seems a bit random and out of character for him and it's more a further example of how things can are and will spiral in absence of I don't know, adult responsibility and supervision and putting it all on kids. The paranoia that seeped into their relationships and lack of trust for eachother and I think in the world generally to look after them.

They consistently had absent parents, drug addict parents, parents who are perpetrators of sexual abuse, alcoholic parents. The level of neglect is overwhelming, the absence of modeling of healthy interactions and relationships. The total lack of guidance from any adult in my opinion is what got them to where they ended up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Car accident, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Torture

mosswood's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

5.0

This book held me in tension for so long that I’ve never experienced before. I was desperate to understand and learn from these characters that I completely hated. I cared deeply about them, despite not caring for them, immersing you in the same kind of dissociation that the characters are in! Amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Murder, Animal cruelty, Stalking, Homophobia, and Sexual violence

hannschwarz's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Torture, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

aristarcodisamo's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Kidnapping, Addiction, Torture, Drug abuse, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Violence, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Cursing, Classism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Antisemitism, Death of parent, Car accident, Outing, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, and Suicide attempt

annieecusack's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Animal death, Death, and Sexual content

disguisedposer's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Homophobia, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Outing, Self harm, Stalking, Biphobia, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

annietaber's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared by a book before… but I also couldn’t bear to put it down. Completely intoxicating and sadistically captivating in the worst way. I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Physical abuse, Body horror, Drug use, Excrement, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Drug abuse

beanwa's review against another edition

dark tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Gore, Homophobia, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Torture, Stalking, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship