Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

37 reviews

kryskross's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, War, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Abandonment, and Blood

Moderate: Confinement, Trafficking, and Addiction

curious_susurrus's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Gore, Murder, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Confinement, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Body horror, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Blood, Colonisation, Homophobia, and Child death

madredeleones's review

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, War, Torture, Suicide, Gun violence, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Medical content, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, and Drug use

Minor: Religious bigotry and Racism

innerweststreetlibrarian's review

adventurous challenging dark reflective 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? Yes

5.0

W O W! 
I really needed the first half of this book after the grinding misogyny of the last one I read, but oof it got really hard to keep going once I was about halfway through. Definitely needed more contemplation time between chapters to process what was going on. And that was quite a LOT. Very, deeply thought provoking, and a tad horrifying. Basically excellent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Torture, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Hate crime, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Trafficking, and Gun violence

Minor: Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

steds's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.5

As audiobook. Intense, interesting, thought provoking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Police brutality, War, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Bullying, Death, and Gaslighting

readergrl37's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Confinement

jebowman123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective 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

It’s hard to do justice to this book in a review. The only critique I have is there might be too many points of view, but that may be because I was listening to  the audiobook. Regardless, I understand why this book was endorsed by Margaret Atwood. It doesn’t just flip gendered power dynamics on their head, it presents a well researched take on what it means to have power period. The last chapter of the book hits the hardest in an otherwise subversive narrative and cleverly asks the audience to consider who writes the history books, who interprets archaeological artifacts, what it means to be a man/woman, and what a different world would look like. I felt like the author considered everything even intersex individuals and the many expressions of power - political, social, vengeful, military, leadership, sexual, survival, etc. 

Updated from a 5.0 to a 4.75. It’s a good book and I appreciate how much was included but the major lasting memories I have are the extremely uncomfortable parts. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Trafficking, Body horror, Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Confinement

Minor: Child abuse

shea_proulx's review

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Murder, Hate crime, Death, Body horror, War, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Medical content, Kidnapping, Drug use, Confinement, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

bethanie_l's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.0

Wasn't sure about this one as I'm slightly apprehensive about the gender switch society concept. It can often be weaponized to say "see? You're just as bad as men so there's no point in feminism." This was not that. It felt more like... like pointing out that these things that are so horrific to see crop up are things that already happen to women in real life. And I can't deny that sometimes I long for men to understand what it's like to be afraid to go jogging at night, that you can't wear headphones because an attacker could sneak up, you can't wear your hair in a ponytail because they could use it to grab you, you can't run in secluded areas because they could abduct you in seconds. The first half is satisfying in this way, seeing women stand up for themselves and seeing men not feel in control anymore. It devolves into horror, but again nothing more than what already happens to women. Is that an excuse? Of course not. But it should be a wake up call to any men who read it. I wonder if they'll even understand that this book is a mirror, even though towards the end I feel like we're being bashed over the head with it. It made me cry deep sobs and I love it for that. 

Issues: very cishet view of gender and sexuality. There's no room for trans characters. One intersex character, but it doesn't go into the gender issues really. Felt like the

voice in Allie's head being Samuel from the Bible

was a very weird choice. And the graphic rape scenes were a bit much, even knowing the framing device of them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Blood, War, Misogyny, Trafficking, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Child death, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

lthumphrey's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Death, Cursing, Child death, War, Trafficking, Murder, Gun violence, Child abuse, Torture, Blood, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Hate crime

Moderate: Misogyny, Medical content, Genocide, Confinement, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Pedophilia