Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

59 reviews

lilacy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.25

It was good, I just wouldn’t read it again or recommend it to anyone. It wasn’t plot driven because there’s no plot, and it wasn’t character driven because only 1/6 characters develops. However, I was able to finish it and it wasn’t the worst book I read… I think it just got overhyped. Like many series, I think the second book will be better because the author has gotten some reviews and can actually get out of the exposition. This plot read like the entire book was exposition and the very last 20 pages were the inciting incident. This book never got to the rising action and the “climax,” missed the mark for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Alcohol

sydneyluxford's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I love crazy gay people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Kidnapping

Minor: Drug use

omfgeleanor's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Terminal illness

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Child abuse, and Child death

by_the_wade's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Murder and Emotional abuse

Minor: Grief, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Violence

li_reading's review against another edition

5.0

Now that I’ve re-read it (twice) and catalogued all the changes, expect a video in the next couple days. 

I will say, I do think the new edition is an improvement to the original.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Grief, and Blood

Minor: Misogyny and Adult/minor relationship

sunsetcity's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Cursing, Violence, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

mikaelaandherbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

This book didn’t really have me hooked until the last 30%, but wow, that was quite an ending reveal! It is very much a dark academia read. It gave me very strong Umbrella Academy vibes, in a more serious setting. I didn’t love this but I am intrigued to see how it finishes so I’ll be reading the next book that comes out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Alcohol

moviemagus's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Terminal illness, and Violence

boglord's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Suicide, Gun violence, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Death, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

silver_lining_in_a_book's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

 You want to believe that your hesitation makes you good, makes you better? It doesn't. Every single one of us is missing something. We are all too powerful, too extraordinary, and don't you see it's because we're riddled with vacancies? We are empty and trying to fill, lighting ourselves on fire just to prove that we are normal - that we are ordinary. That we, like anything, can burn.

Every decade, six medeians are invited to compete for a place in the Alexandrian Society. They are the best of the best, masters of their craft. They must study, train and fight under the same roof for a year, five will go on to study for a second year, one will not. It is up to them to decide who is eliminated.

I do not have the words to describe how this book made me feel. The story was so different from anything I could have imagined, but Olivie Blake really delivered when it comes to the characters and the atmosphere. The latter was mainly as a result of her beautifully crafted prose, which really reflected the elitist academic setting and transported the reader right into the centre of all the action and tension within the Library of Alexandria.

When it comes to the prior, I think the author must have worked some sort of magic of her own. All of the characters were so deeply flawed and quite a number of them were undeniably twisted, but she somehow managed to make me care for all of them. Most of all, to my surprise, I found myself adoring the most depraved character in this book - Callum Nova. I don't know why I cared for him so much, but I loved his power and I loved the way he observed other characters from afar without much care for their opinion of him. I have never read from a character like him before, which - considering the number of dark academia literature published every year - is quite an achievement!

The reason I emphasise the characters in this novel is that they are truly the foundation for what Blake has crafted here. The novel has a plot, but it gently simmers in the background as the characters and their dynamics (not to mention all their discussions about physics, psychology and human morality) take centre stage. The plot really only picks up right at the end, but that is exactly I type of book that I enjoy, so I can't complain. I absolutely adored this and cannot wait to see where the author takes this story next! (I just hope that we get to see a little more of Callum!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child death, Murder, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Drug use, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Classism, Alcohol, Blood, Grief, Infidelity, and Kidnapping