Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Bacchanal by Veronica G. Henry

16 reviews

whiskeywoman79's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Story: ⭐⭐⭐/5 
Narration: ⭐⭐⭐/5 

Fantasy / Historical Fiction /  Horror / Fiction / Historical/ Paranormal / African mysticism

Magical? Maybe, I guess. Keep in mind this is set right after the Great Depression and race plays a part in the story...  A carnival run by a child-eating Demon. A young black woman who can communicate with animals, and who of course is the only one who can save them all. So many questionable characters, and events... It was a bit too much, I was confused many times. The ending was so lackluster, for the buildup. Overall, I'm left feeling very disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child death, Abandonment, and Death

Moderate: Animal death and Hate crime

Minor: Grief, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Slavery, and Racial slurs

dynila's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Racism, Self harm, and Child death

Minor: Cannibalism

ashtheaudiomancer's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

I keep saying I'm burnt out on magical chosen one type narratives, but Bacchanal is a refreshing new take on the genre. Because it is technically a magical chosen one story, but it's also a reflection on poverty, family, race, generational trauma, identity, and finding inner strength through connections to those who came before. Plus it's a cursed carnival, which is one of my favorite settings of all time. Highly recommended--but don't take those content warnings lightly. There is a lot of disturbing, violent content here. I promise the end result is worth it, but yeah. Read the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Racism, and Hate crime

lizzie24601's review

adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

3.0

If you liked The Night Circus, you'll love this book. Honestly, I felt pretty much the same about this as I did The Night Circus - loved the worldbuilding, liked the cast of characters, wasn't thrilled with the plot.

Veronica Henry brings forth a fun cast of characters in the carnival and intricately weaves African mythology with American historical fiction. I liked the few times we switched to other characters' perspectives and got to know them a little more. I especially liked Malachi, Autumn, and Ishe.

Liza is a well-rounded character, with a power she doesn't quite understand, and needs some character growth before she can control it. I liked that Liza has a lot of negative qualities that others find irritating about her, but she finds her friends nonetheless. I enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the book and find a home with the carnival.

 The book ends rather abruptly

and confusingly - Mico was the mom? Did that mean the old man was the dad? I don't understand

but overall it's a fun read.

Additional thoughts on the ending:

RIP Clay and Ishe... You didn't deserve to die in 2 sentences. And love that the whole book was about Liza finding a family and building up this cast of characters who support her and then the carnival ended and she never spoke to any of them again. Whatever.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Abandonment, Racism, Child death, and Murder

Minor: Animal death and Death of parent

emzhay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Gore, Hate crime, and Child death

Minor: Death of parent

setaian's review

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

A challenging work of fiction that deals with racism, race crimes and other difficult issues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Child death, Animal death, and Racism

readingwithkaitlyn's review

dark mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Murder, Animal death, Kidnapping, Racism, Death, Ableism, Infidelity, Child death, Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, and Colonisation

Use of g slur, illness, prostitution, gangs.

peppers_books's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Racism, Child death, Self harm, and Hate crime

tonysipsandreads's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad 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

5.0

This book is so doggone good! I'm so upset that this book isn't getting more recognition! I love in love with almost every character in this book except the villan. And the villan was everything I wanted in a villan! I did not expect to fall in love with this book the way I did, but Bacchanal is one of those books that reminds you why you fell in love with reading. While reading Bacchanal everything in my world seemed to fall away, and I was transformed to this creepy carnival where karma caught up with several characters. I could smell the carnival food, I could hear the carnival music, my heart raced during the creepy parts and I could not read fats enough to find out what happens next! If you have not read Bacchanal, you are most definitely missing out! Get it and read it today!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Miscarriage, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime

jandrablooms's review against another edition

adventurous slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Child death, and Racism