Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

36 reviews

maddiegyoms's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved how The Dead and the Dark tells a story about how the hate we put into the world creates a darkness that can be so overpowering/overwhelming that we cave to it. This story is more than just a paranormal murder mystery, it's about acceptance; acceptance of who you are, of who other people are. We all make mistakes, even if we think it's better for someone else, but owning up to it and making a change for the better is what ultimately prevails.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Hate crime, Child death, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Bullying

Minor: Abandonment

sshpurple1's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

It is one of the best books I have read this year. We meet a queer dysfunctional family and a closed-minded town. The story is mysterious, eerie, terrifying, ominous, and haunted. Jump in and enjoy the story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Bullying, Murder, and Homophobia

satsumaorange's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.5

I love ghosts, I love gay people, I love

evil supernatural mind control

. What more could I want? 
I wasn't a huge fan of the audiobook narrator's tone, but I got past that eventually. Logan's dads were the best part of the book, I loved whenever they were in a scene. Gay rights and dead kids! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Bullying, and Grief

Moderate: Biphobia, Violence, and Alcohol

Minor: Blood, Police brutality, Classism, and Gun violence

pagelikebooks's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Child death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol

w0rldofab00kw0rm's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Grief, Bullying, and Lesbophobia

marcostorin's review

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

This book felt like watching a good thriller/horror movie with lots of well-handled social commentary. I couldn't put it down after I started it. I think my favorite part - besides how fun it was to read the book - is that it makes you face your (internalised in my case) homophobia. I think the best way to read this book too is without knowing much about it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Murder, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Biphobia, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Stalking

goldfish_human's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Okay, I really loved it 😳
It was sapphic, mysterious and thrilling. 
I do agree that it's giving a Riverdale vibe but like, in a good way, in a strange, mysterious, "small town not as perfect as it seems" and "don't trust anyone" kind of vibe. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Murder, Grief, Bullying, Lesbophobia, Violence, and Death

Minor: Blood

rtaire's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Homophobia

Moderate: Child death, Grief, and Bullying

robin_reads's review against another edition

adventurous 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

1.5

Paranormal small town murder mystery. A married gay couple return to their terrible small town in the buttcrack of Oregon with their adopted daughter.

The romance in this felt completely unnecessary and did little to nothing for the plot. I didn't connect with any of the characters and didn't much care what happened to any of them. 
The plot surrounding the mystery wasn't bad. 
The pacing is weird sometimes--very slow and then time jumps of days and weeks. 

The ending was so weirdly happy and didn't feel like it fit. I get that a Happy Ending is always nice and most people want those but I would've preferred if it ended it a more tentative, maybe almost wary open ending

Additional CW: Drowning, attempted murder

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Blood, Kidnapping, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol

pomegranite's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

Sometimes when you read something, you can tell it's the authors first real work. The Dead and The Dark screams debut novel, from bad pacing, short chapters, straight to the point sentences, and telling instead of showing... I felt it could really use some work. The first 25 chapters or so really bored me and I had a hard time caring for the characters. I also couldn't really tell how the two characters were ment to end up together, as there was no chemistry or reason for them to even be near eachother. But as time went on and the more I read, the more I enjoyed. Once the book got to where it needed to be I didn't really put down the book, I zipped through the chapters and began to enjoy what I was reading. But then again bad pacing struck, and it really put a damper on things. But I'm not cruel, I didn't hate this book. I thought the author had a good idea with this story, and I enjoyed the family dynamic between Logan and her dad's... and I wish we saw more of it actually. I also really love how queer this story was. One of the main characters is a lesbian with two dad's and the other main is sapphic, and they end up together as a cute couple. All in all? I didn't love this book, I wish it was longer and had more builf but I didn't hate it either. It was a solid read that I don't regret, and it didn't put a bad taste in my mouth when I was finished. It did what it was supposed to as a young adult novel, and if I read this when I was younger? I probably would have loved it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Alcohol

Minor: Child death