Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia

11 reviews

alliejm00's review

hopeful 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Stalking and War

Minor: Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual content, Gun violence, Police brutality, Murder, Bullying, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity

criticalgayze's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-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? Yes

3.0

Allow me to start by saying that I do feel a little unfair in rating this book. I read this for a grad school course where I had to finish it; otherwise, I would have DNF'ed a third of the way in. I don't feel that any of my problems with the book are the fault of the story or author necessarily, but as a group member put it, "this is the kind of book I would've loved as a freshman in high school." In that way, I think the book is a fine piece for its intended audience; however, since I read it, I am going to go ahead with a review.

My biggest hurdle was that the book relied so much on two of my least favorite things in YA literature: indecisive teenage angst and the unearned "perfect chosen one" trope. Think of it like a Divergent or an Eragon in that it has a narrator who seems to just be the very best at what she has to do, and she constantly repeats this fact, so it is not lost on the audience. However, also like those texts, all we ever seem to see is the MC messing up, which leaves you confused on how she was ever the "best." It does not help that there is little exposition, so we do not get to see her go through a "training phase" montage.

Furthermore, it feels like much of what is here is underwritten. The novel will go long stretches where tensions are very low while the MC is snooping around only to be ratcheted up with little warning. Meanwhile, our MC is taking part in a same sex love affair with her husband's other wife with little real explanation as to the social politics of such a thing. On top of that, the greater context is lacking nuance, so the reader is unsure whether this is an urban fantasy or a dystopia as there is no sense of temporal and global placement of the events despite modern technology and use of intermittent Latinx culture and the Spanish language.

This book is not bad for what it is supposed to be. Unfortunately, that product is also just not for me.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Violence, Misogyny, and Police brutality

Minor: Dysphoria and Sexual content

bitterseason's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content

Minor: Bullying

turtlebrainlibrarian's review

adventurous emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Sexual content, Death, and Violence

Minor: Gun violence and Bullying

sam_says_gay_rights's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.75

This book is amazing. Please read it. I loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

alouette's review

adventurous 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

4.25

a simple but effectively built world lends itself to a thrilling adventure. this book had so many tense scenes, as well as fitting emotional beats. i thought some parts of the plot were too convenient or contrived, even if they were effective in moving the story along. i also wasn't very taken by the sapphic romance, nor how it turned out in the end. still, i'm excited for the sequel and the dani is a lovely character trying to balance the intriguing political stage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Violence

kaidoz's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring 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? No

3.75

In the beginning, I wasn’t sure if I liked the premise. The story seemed to be moving a little slow even though the pace was quick, and I wasn’t sure if anything new would be offered in the last few chapters. I was wrong. The ending of the book was my favorite part because it pissed me off. I felt emotions that I couldn’t feel in the beginning and middle. This was proof that I had grown attached to these characters- to their story. I’ll be reading the sequel soon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, and Sexual content

Minor: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

The main plot of the book centers around working against a totalitarian government with a violent military. The societal role of women in the book is very misogynistic as well, so be prepared for that along with the violence.

rwmccormic's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Sexual content

obviousthings's review

emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

I thought the premise of this story was really cool and interesting, and I was impressed with the worldbuilding and how La Voz was written, but the book as a whole just did not work for me. 

Dani is naive and totally unprepared for the situations she finds herself in. I think this could have worked if it had been the point of the story - that might have been an interesting exploration of morality - but because this is YA, the narrative is on her side at all times. (Not something I fault the genre for, but because Dani is so far out of her depth, it doesn't work well here). I don't mind characters who make bad decisions, but it's really frustrating to watch a character make a bad decision and then have the narrative try to pass it off as totally reasonable. For much of the book I found myself wishing for a more capable protagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, and Misogyny

Moderate: Bullying, Car accident, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Police brutality

Minor: Blood, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Medical content

Warning for fire/a building burning

arttichokedipp's review

emotional 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 not initially a five-star read for me, but I didn't get why. It has, hypothetically, everything I want in a book. It just wasn't life-altering. So I gave it 4.75. But now I've changed the system and anything that captivates me like this book did to where I can't put it down gets a 5.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Police brutality and Sexual content

Minor: Bullying and Homophobia