Dark and realistic violence
341960
What is sold as a fairy tale is a book with a realistic dark plot reminescent of World War 2 and the Holocaust, with the main character (you the reader), being murdered by soldiers in one alternative ending, being corralled with other children onto a train by soldiers you were trying to escape, and all because of your mistake, in another ending, or being saved by a pastor who shoots and kills the soldier who was trying to kill you. The back cover gives this desceptive description, "In You Choose  fairy tales, you are the fairy godmother!" Too dark for elementary age range, too basic level reading for middle school age range.
662785
Written in true crime television style, That Darkness is a gritty look at what it means to be a cop in a system that has long been broken in favor of the criminal. Lisa Black does a stunning job of portraying just how blurry the line between legal justice and moral righteousness can become in a novel that will have readers question what it really means to protect and serve.
3455608
This is a dark comedy Western, which delves into the lives and adventures of two gun-slinging brothers, through the point of view of the kinder, more sensitive of the two. At times, it is extremely violent, and some graphic trials and tribulations befall the brothers. It appeared to be well-researched, and had a sense of authenticity in terms of the history of the gold rush, and frontier life. As a person who loves animals, I was disturbed by some of the writing. The author takes on big themes, with candor, irony and outrageous humor, and his images are original and at times poetic and brilliant. The dialog had a very life-like feeling, and the pacing of the novel keep up my interest, taking me through the perils and at time horror involved. Even though this was disturbing to read at times, I am looking forward to more work by this writer, since he is extremely fresh and talented.
2841195
A little violent but it was a violent time in a violent place.  Wonderful yet brutal depiction of complex race relations in "Old Tampa" and the development of the organized in organized crime.
3289641
I really enjoyed this novel, especially as it had two major plots going at the same time; the mystery was very well done.  But I thought that the violence, especially given the nature of the violence, was too graphic.  The author could have toned it down without sacrificing anything.
34364
Gritty, gruesome, dark, and brutal. A study in extreme tension. Good movie. Buy or rent. Support indie flicks to make sure we have more options than comic book movies and badly executed remakes.
3824710
I've started reading this dries of books, and I'm alwYs put off by the extreme rather graphic  violence and the characters are a little over the top.  However, the plots always are twisted and unpredictable and Mr. Lebanese, is wonderfully insightful into the human condition and always defines it in interesting situations with a lot of imagery.  The novels are rather dark and hopeless in tone.
4502165
A dark suspense movie that I thoroughly enjoyed....but be warned that it is full of bloody violence! However, can you blame John when, just after losing his wife, his 69 Mustang was stolen by men who beat him up and killed his puppy?!
229111
What a dark and disturbing bunch of characters.  Really good read.
3729431
As usual you can look forward to a clever, professionally conceived and effectly written crime story, with generously added toughness and hidden clues. You should be expecting a certain amount of violence, and perhaps an extra dash of cruelty and pain - the reason some women shy away from some of the author's novels.
If you are not bothered by medieval torture instruments and near-suffocation in a devaststating snow avalanche, you get what you wish, from the novel: a complicated plot, a touch of romance - and straight written fights - you may perhaps feel yourself at the end of a fight manual inside the novel. So, not perhaps a novel for everybody, but it will give you full satisfaction if you want to spend an evening with a totally modern, hardwritten novel.
2411991
In a series of short stories, author David Drake explores the dark side of war and a dystopic future. Drake is a Viet Nam veteran and that experience gives his stories a gritty realism that shows through even in the more space-opera stories of 'the Fleet.' In his world, battles never go well, the enemy doesn't miss all the time, and commanding generals, admirals, back-room intelligence, and civilian 'suits' don't have a clue what they're asking for.
GRIMMER THAN HELL is an apt title for this set of dark stories. Whether set in the futuristic universe of the Fleet, the monitored and dying world of Lacey, or even the wars of Hell itself, Drake chooses to show humanity at its best and worst--in deadly action.
If you're looking for a light and upbeat read, stay well away from GRIMMER THAN HELL. But in a world where politicians continue to order soldiers into harms way, GRIMMER is a brutal and useful reminder that harms way can be very harmful indeed--not just for the physical violence that warfare brings, but also for the emotional damage done to soldiers and, at a more hidden level, to those sending young warriors into battle. GRIMMER delivers a few enjoyable twists, a couple of intriguing characters in Captain (Major) Kowacs and Jed Lacey. If you're looking for the kind of SF that makes you think, GRIMMER is a great choice.
3372983
This British crime program is really good; dark and edgy and even gruesome (bloodied murder victims and sometimes body parts). The strengths and weaknesses of these detectives and each story's unusual plot keeps us engaged as they sort out red herrings in the course of solving some really twisted crimes.
1360074
I didn't know what to expect from this book but I didn't expect it to be so dark and gory. Still it was a good read with a really good plot line. Read it!
2719498
This book is very dark and violent, much more so than the first. There are places where I cringe because it is so dark and violent. But it has a good storyline and plot and I want to know how it all ends. Just like the last one, each chapter is based off the view points of a different character. I think my favorite ones where Abi and Lukes. But you really get some good new insight reading from Silyen and Gavar, I didn't really like the ones from Bouda.

This one starts right where the first one left off, Abi escapes to try to find a way to help her brother. The only ways she can find help is to get help from the equals. But that isn't the best plan, at the same time Luke is trying to figure out a way to escape himself but where he is locked up is not what he was expecting. You get to know the characters better and meet some new ones as well. Although there is a lot of death in this book and a couple favorites do die.

Silyen is still a still a question mark in this book, don't know what his goals are or what he is trying to accomplish with the things he does. The ending leaves you questions things and definitely leaves you wanting to read the next book.

I wouldn't categorize this as young adult, more like New adult if that is still a thing.
3293023
This series was very realistic and overall I enjoyed it. I wish it was less violent but it is about war and war is violent.
4815341
This is a rather dark violent movie with a somewhat unique twist and reasonable performances that keep you watching. Bruce Willis has a nearly cameo appearance but, the others do a respectable performance so, old Bruce didn't need to be in it in my opinion. Bruce Willis' picture did cause me to start watching the movie however.
449824
Gritty and raw, Shadow of the Drill pulls the reader into a world of dark emotions and vigilante law. A world where justice and revenge are meted out by those who are wronged. The main characters Decker and Rudy are real. Flesh and bone real. Blood and guts real. Rudy runs a strip club while Decker does what he does best, exact justice. And though Charlene, the female lead, helps to balance the story line with her emotional vulnerability, she is one tough cookie. There are times when even Decker backs off from her. The inevitable love triangle ultimately develops, but remains secondary to the story line, as it should. At first I resisted the draw into this violent, though sometimes tender world, but the author's writing style and superb character development wouldn't let me go. Well worth the read.