Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand

20 reviews

writingbugtop's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Acephobia/Arophobia, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

maple_dove's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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

4.0

Sawkill Girls is a feminist story similar by Stranger Things about three queer girls vs. a a scary monster.

Before reading this book, I read Extasia. The feminist and queer themes are definitely present in Sawkill Girls too. I liked this book throughout, but my favorite parts are after the halfway mark.

The asexual alloromantic and exes-to-friends representation was GREATTT!

However, there is one qualm I have about this book.

He had insisted on cleaning up the kitchen before turning in, otherwise the crusty layers of casserole on their late-night dinner plates would fester and haunt him, snickering in the kitchen while he lay awake staring at the ceiling.
The adorable little freak.

. . .

From what I know, the word freak is a pretty triggering word for the disabled community, because it implies that they are things to be feared.

⭐️ Favorite Quotes: 

"Can I once again apologize on behalf of men everywhere?" Grayson offered. "Because we can really fucking suck sometimes."
Zoey arched an eyebrow. "Sometimes?"
"Most of the time."
"There it is."

Marion couldn't imagine a God like the one she'd grown up hearing about--some man sitting in the clouds, maneuvering the pieces of the world to suit his whims because he, of course, knows best.
But she could imagine a God in the shape of an island crowned with trees, brooding in the middle of a black sea.

"I don't know what will happen to us once we get to the obscura. The book says he can't be killed--"
"Screw that book," said Val. "It was written by men." She held out her free hand to Marion. "We're rewriting it." (pg. 385-386)

Marion stood at the port side railing, her back to everyone and her black hair streaming out behind her--a dark queen, surveying the battlefield.

"What's wrong with you?" Zoey had never heard Valerie Mortimer's voice sound so unfinished. "None of this is necessary--"
"I will decide what is necessary!" howled Briggs, his grip tightening painfully around Zoey's arm. "This is the way it is done. This is the way our fathers taught us."
"Your fathers,"  Val replied, "were full of shit." (pg. 398)

"The Collector must feed. He must be banished from our world. So it has been done, and so it is done, and so it shall always be done."
"And so it shall always be done," repeated the men, reminding Zoey of the way Borg drones proclaimed they were going to assimilate you, that resistance was futile, that you were screwed and there was no way out, sorry about that.
[...]
But then Marion spoke.
"And so," she said, her voice low and serene, "it shall never done again." (pg. 398-399)

"It's not our job to save the world. It can't be. That's not fair."
"If it's not our job," Marion asked quietly, "whose is it?"

Hope, she thought, breathing with the tide, was a choice that only those with resolute hearts dared to make.

Stardust cares not for the agony of demons.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gore, Grief, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Gun violence, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Death of parent, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Kidnapping, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Sexual content

Minor: Car accident, Drug use, Cancer, Vomit, Racism, and Suicide

Underage drinking (graphic), Verbal abuse (minor)

runes_reads's review

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

No spoiler review!
5/5 stars
Read for 2 hours and 41 minutes according to Libby, and picked it up four times (so like 40ish minutes average per sitting)
LOVED this story! The characters were so incredible and interesting, I cared so much for all of them. The POV switching was great and easy to follow, the vibes and word choice and IMAGERY was just amazing. Every character was so distinct and their own whole person. Some stories with POV switching and this many characters get sort of muddled, this certainly did not. It took me a while to love the characters, but once I did? They were so life like. All in all, a wonderful book that made me cry. There are some pretty heavy topics though, so make sure to check with the content warnings first

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, Cursing, Sexual assault, and Gun violence

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Suicide attempt, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Minor: Abandonment, Classism, Racism, Vomit, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

thebookraiders's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious 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? No

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal death and Confinement

directorpurry's review

dark emotional hopeful 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Gun violence, and Acephobia/Arophobia

Moderate: Death of parent and Suicidal thoughts

oliverreeds's review

adventurous dark 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

4.0

pretty good. the character relationships were stilted at the beginning. i didnt understand their motivations but it made sense at the end. i just wish there had been more friendship initially. would have provided a better foundation

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Police brutality, Self harm, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Animal death, Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Toxic relationship

elliesberrie's review

dark mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Grief, Child death, and Bullying

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Car accident and Alcohol

mooandshoe's review

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I have really conflicting feelings about this book, I won’t lie. Overall, the themes and symbolism were incredible and the plot kept me wanting to know what happened next. However, the writing at the beginning was a little hard to get into. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want this to be hidden by a spoiler, but my biggest issue with the book was the sexual content with teenage characters. If the characters were adults, I wouldn’t care or even necessarily call it graphic but it was way more than should be written about characters who are underage. So, ethically, I feel a little conflicted about how I want to rate this book. 
However, this book is a beautiful examination of girlhood, patriarchy, good and evil, and how easily those things intertwine. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Blood, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Acephobia/Arophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

cajesp's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

i throughly enjoyed this book! i’m really surprised how much i came to love val after hating her for most of the first 1/2 of the book but now she’s my favourite character. great character development, world-building, just the right amount of horror and the relationships between the girls was a delight to read. i loved every girl so much and i loved their journey throughout the book. it was a surprisingly great read, i would definitely recommend this one but please be aware of the horror elements, some of the descriptions may be graphic for others! also bonus points for being sapphic and having ace representation!! so great to see :)  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Gun violence, Vomit, and Physical abuse

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal death