Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

PET by Akwaeke Emezi

52 reviews

breadbummer's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.0

More fast-paced than I was expecting, but that might just be because I'm not used to listening to audiobooks, nor am I used to getting through a book in two days lol; I guess it might also be that books for younger audiences tend to be faster reads in my experience. In any case, I don't think I've ever read a book quite like this, probably because Black queer stories are so often under-celebrated by the whole of society. It was very refreshing to see a type of utopia centered very specifically around these two intersecting identities, especially with biblical fantasy elements tied into it. For how dark this book could get, it was an amazingly colorful read/listen!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

Being a book more suited for older children, Emezi descriptions of abuse are by no means extensive, but rather provide an easy introduction into the topic via phrases like "monsters monstering" for

rape

or providing framework *just* vague enough to describe

a certain character's pedophilic tendencies

.

softgalaxy's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This was a very short read, which is my biggest criticism. But overall, a solid read. 

It’s a very haunting story to read when you live in a world that has the very popular phrase “fake news”. This book was much larger than itself. Literally, like Pet. As you read, you feel the real world loom over you. 

I really liked the lack of emphasis on Jam’s trans identity. Sometimes in books, there has to be a whole chapter dedicated to a character and their struggles being trans. Jam was just transgender and that was that. Trans people just exist.

Pet was a bizarre ‘monster’ - you sadly don’t get to understand where Pet comes from - like why did it come out of a painting? Obviously there’s a lot of symbolism to unpack, but you really could be here all day.

The reason this review is not a full 5 stars is because of the ending - it seemed to backtrack on everything the book was saying.

Making an evil character have a physical flaw is a harmful ableist trope.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Child abuse

Minor: Blood, Gore, Body horror, and Dysphoria

lynxpardinus's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Police brutality, Medical content, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, and Incest

Minor: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, War, Mental illness, Sexual content, Abandonment, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Mass/school shootings, Ableism, Confinement, Gore, Suicide, Transphobia, and Vomit

Ableism warning is to err on the side of caution, for disability framed as a punishment near the end.

azalia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, and Child abuse

Minor: Body horror, Cursing, and Gore

helloiloveyellow's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia and Child abuse

Minor: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail

notapenguin's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault and Pedophilia

Minor: Vomit and Panic attacks/disorders

pandora_rose_reads's review

adventurous challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

some_random_person_hi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

That was really well done and the execution was splendid. However, the theme about monsters not looking different fell a little flat since 

the monster got mutilated

  during the finale 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Acephobia/Arophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Torture, Child abuse, and Gore

midnightcomets's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

 The truth does not change whether it is seen or unseen, it whispered in her mind. A thing which is happening happens whether you look at it or not. And yes, maybe it is easier not to look. Maybe it is easier to say because you do not see it, it is not happening. Maybe you can pull the stone out of the pool and put the moon back together. 

Be Not Afraid.
I loved this with my entire heart. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism and Transphobia

dustghosts's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is the first book by Akwaeke Emezi I’ve read/listened to (though I also have Freshwater on the docket when my attention span is ready for it) and what. A. Treat! Listen, the Tiktok girlies (gender neutral) aren’t always on the ball— in fact they frequently are not— but this book? Rules.

So far this year, I’ve been reading a lot of shorter books. One thing I find with works this brief, and with this much plot, is that it can be hard for authors to balance building an emotional connection and moving quickly enough that everything happens as it needs to. Emezi masterfully balances these things: we’re gently thrust into Jam’s world, an adverb and verb that don’t usually go together, and we’re kept there with heart and action both. 

There’s a lot of respect for the reader inherent in this book— Emezi trusts the audience to make inferences and draw lines, both in the context of the book and as far as wider themes go. We’re allowed to be partners in the worldbuilding. It’s ambitious, this horror-fantasy-utopia-YA romp, and it pays off wonderfully. What could feel heavy-handed instead is weightless, and Emezi’s lyrical turns of phrase feel like dessert for the well-woven plot and complicated sort of allegories at the core of the book. Going back to respect: I really love a YA book that treats its intended audience like the emotionally-intelligent, sharp-witted, curious readers they can be, and this one does exactly that. 

Not a lot of flaws to list here— I wish that we saw, maybe, a teeny bit more depth to Jam’s character, a fuller view of her life on the day-to-day in Lucille. But that’s about it. Pet is bite-sized and keeps the scope (in time, cast, and conflict) pretty limited as a result, but you get a sense of scale of the wider world that feels satisfying and appetite-whetting all at once. I’ll be excited to read more, in this universe and the next that Emezi has to offer.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

Minor: Vomit and Violence