Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

6 reviews

franrodalg's review against another edition

challenging

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

1.25

Why??? Just... why??? I honestly can't see the point of this, other than as a blatant cash grab... 

I enjoyed The Lunar Chronicles much more than I could have ever imagined. I found it charming, entertaining and imaginative despite me not being the target audience at all. I even managed to bear the (multiple) romances, which is quite a feat for me. The villain, though, was not particularly exciting, but the series being classic fairytale retellings that's almost a given. It wasn't a perfect series by any means, but I had it in high regard. 

After reading Fairest, though, I'm seriously rethinking my appreciation of the of the original series. 

When someone gets one of those classic shallow, moustache-twirling villains and decides to write their origin story, one expects a reframing of the main narrative, a different angle that makes the villain if not more sympathetic, at least more complex, more human. 

Not here. 

Not only we follow a despicable individual, but an extremely unlikeable one on top. There are plenty of stories where the main character is an objectively evil person, but the author manages to make it enjoyable to follow them. Sand dan Glokta from the First Law series might be one of my favourite characters of all times, despite being a torturer. Alessandra from The Shadows Between Us is wicked and selfish, yet she managed to make me enjoy a romantasy book, something I would have never guessed. Even being inside Cersei’s head in ASOIAF is strangely addictive. But those characters were fun to follow, with a unique narrative voice and inner monologue. 

Levana is just horrible, without any redeeming quality whatsoever, and the writing doesn’t compensate. 

I was expecting to at least empathise with her, But no. I only learned that, on top of everything we already knew, she is [spoiler and trigger warning alert]a rapist. 

This feels like an exercise on how not to write a villain origin story. 

Marissa Meyer undoubtedly came to hate Levana’s character as she was writing the main series, creating a despicable backstory for her that intersected with the protagonists. That might have worked for those protagonists but, as it stands, does not work for the villain. You can’t write from the perspective of someone you despise, specially if you want readers to enjoy their experience. 

What a disappointment. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

melissaslibraryy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

Oh Levana, you crazed delusional woman, how many lives you’ve ruined including your own bc of your own selfishness and childish crush. The way she could’ve turned out a normal princess had her parents actually given a fuck about her and had her own sister not set her on fire and scarred her for life (physically & emotionally.) If therapy was a thing on Luna TRUST that Levana should’ve been first at the door 😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Classism, Death, Ableism, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Medical trauma, Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual harassment and Sexual violence

hshoue's review

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

psliz's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

i hate elara with a burning passion and reading her backstory (which was really interesting and heartbreaking) makes me hate her more 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

emma_zaruhi's review

dark emotional sad 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? N/A

3.75

reseña conjunta con zahi 🌙

dos cosas 
1. levana
2. te odio (lpqtrp morite) 

el libro está bueni pero esta señora me violenta y ojalá se caiga desde un séptimo piso, la atropelle un camión y por la velocidad se prenda fuego porque está traumada con el fuego y quiero que se queme viva 🌝

winter fetin amo, no se que te pasó que te volviste loca en cress

me rehúso a pensar que channary sea la mamá de cinder. es adoptada o algún cachivache lunar. no puede ser. 

</spoiler\> Evret y Solstice merecían un futuro juntos. levana te odio por arruinarlo. ojalá que se encuentren en el cielo y vivan juntos en una cabañita cute </spoiler\> 

al principio levana me daba pena pero después ya no. morite vieja.  
cuando se muere voy a hacer una fiesta con globos de colores y una fogata porque odia el fuego juju ❤

en conclusión levana =  psicópata de mierda 
:) 

(igual léanlo porque esta bueno el libro)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Murder, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

h_scarf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body horror, Infertility, and Child abuse