Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

19 reviews

btaylorb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

😭

The comparisons to The Raven Cycle are very accurate. There were some occasional descriptive moments that were confusing and I would have to re-read, but overall I loved this. Spooky shit, southern gothic, magic that is a stand-in for something else, a hint of dark academia and ending that is a glimmer of hope while also guaranteeing nothing, hurts so good, satisfyingly unsatisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Blood, Suicide, Body horror, and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual content and Torture

Minor: Classism, Toxic friendship, and Racism

nikoops's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

Really great read for fans of a good old ghost story. Definitely leaves you wanting to know more about the fates of these characters, and there were definitely parts that had me wishing the author would have delved a bit deeper. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Drug use, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Bullying

While this story does not contain incest between blood related siblings, the main character Andrew and Eddie are referred to as siblings by adoption at times, so the intense relationship they had may be read by some as having incest-ish vibes

kers_tin's review

challenging dark mysterious sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Torture, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicide

Moderate: Racism and Homophobia

Minor: Slavery and Transphobia

khea's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Death, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Cursing

Minor: Deadnaming, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Transphobia

beepsies's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Drug use, Blood, Homophobia, Sexual content, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Classism, Racism, and Cursing

Minor: Suicide, Torture, Medical content, and Racism

At one point, the main character sleepwalks and is found covered in

rot from laying in/on a dead stag

. It's small, and the story doesn't dwell on it.

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

I don't know how to review this. I feel like I didn't enjoy it as much as it deserves, though I did enjoy it. I couldn't fully get into Andrew or Sam as characters, so even though the writing was good and I enjoyed the story overall (other than a few things that needed a bit more development toward the end), I feel so-so on it. I also don't love atmospheric books, and this was very atmospheric. This came to me from Rainbow Crate Book Box.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, Sexual content, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Homophobia, Torture, Alcoholism, Murder, Confinement, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Death of parent

Internalized homophobia

corruptednatz's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious sad 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

Fantastic book! Is it me or was every character hot in this book? They way the main character was observing each male character had me feeling some way 😂 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Homophobia, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Drug use

Minor: Torture and Transphobia

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

this book was soooooo good omg omg... i dont have many complaints other than i wish eddie might have played a bigger part in it (hes definitely present all throughout it but its like...an absent kind of presence? if that makes sense) but other than that i thoroughly enjoyed it 💖

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Torture, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Racism and Sexual content

Minor: Animal death

remimicha's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Murder, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Grief, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Violence, Drug use, Death, Torture, Suicide, Blood, and Homophobia

Moderate: Classism, Racism, Car accident, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, and Eating disorder

jamielikestoread's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Drug use, Murder, Transphobia, Suicide, Racism, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Terminal illness