Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

120 reviews

raccacoonie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

3.25

The book was fine but I just don’t think it’s my vibe. Really cool imagery and interesting plot but I feel I found out the twist a bit too early for my tastes and I’m usually gullible tbh. I think this sort of dark kind of horror type book just isn’t for me. I liked the use of stories/myths tho, but be warned that there are a lot of dark intense themes of abuse and just generally crappy ppl. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Animal death, Child death, Death, and Pedophilia

karapillar's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Gaslighting, Violence, Abandonment, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Murder

Minor: Incest, Gun violence, Drug use, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Alcohol, and Vomit

victorianscandal's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual harassment

colorcrystals's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, and Death

Moderate: Pedophilia and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child abuse and Child death

kmmcghan's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Child death, and Physical abuse

lue_moon's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.5

I love Chokshi's writing. I know her style is not for everyone but I've been hooked since reading The Guilded Wolves series. I really enjoyed this adult debut.

Quote I'll be thinking about for a while:

Maybe it is about finding someone whose heart is like a mirror, whose love can make you stand the sight of yourself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic friendship, Child death, and Animal death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Sexual harassment

volanscore's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

1.0

I enjoyed some bits of it but wholly, it was like drinking water that couldn’t quench my thirst. There are only two narrators and one (the bridegroom) has such an underdeveloped story that I felt I’d rather read without his chapters. There was so much to be explored about the state of his memories, what happened to him, his escape, but really, there was no development because the story was all about Azure so then why waste time even giving us morsels of another character’s story. The plot-twist was much more disappointing than I’d hoped for the ending. There were so much language that made Indigo seem satanic (references to horns on her head,, it’s obvious really) that I’d imagined that there would be even a small turn with dark fantasy where Indigo was actually some sort of fairy grim reaper or something like that. It really fell apart for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Abandonment and Animal death

Minor: Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Child death, and Child abuse

gmrickel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

Told in alternating perspectives between the "Bridegroom" (set in the present) and "Azure" (the Bridegroom's wife's childhood best friend, set about 20 years in the past), this tale winds around various mysteries and secrets. This has the cruelty of a dark fairytale, mixed with desperation, obsession, and dangerous imagination. Suggested for fans of toxic friendships, atmospheric settings, and lush writing. I also think fans of dark academia who are willing to set aside the lack of "academia" would enjoy this book.

On a personal note, I saw the twist coming but still enjoyed the ride. I don't think the view on marriage (the Bridegroom's perspective) was nearly as well done as Azure's. Big content warning for the looming threat of sexual assault in Azure's perspective, child abuse and neglect, and bullying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault

liv_easton's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Going into this book, I was definitely excited to read Chokshi's prose again, since it's really been too long. While it was beautiful as expected, I do think it got a bit overwhelming towards the middle of the book, which was also about the time I began to suspect the ending of the story—perhaps that's why I suddenly felt a lag. I went back and forth between preferring the Bridegroom's chapters and Azure's chapters, but tended to prefer Azure's more, and I think it was because the Bridegroom felt like less of a character to me and more of a narrator. The story was clearly about Indigo and Azure, to the point that he literally doesn't even have a name. I don't mind that focusing of the story, but it did mean that I didn't really care about his fate, which I think would've driven his chapters more. The last criticism I have is the prologue. I know it was meant to add tension to the book and make the reader immediately wary of Indigo, but I think it just gave too much away and as a result, sacrificed about 79% of my suspense as I read.

Onto the good things! 

For a book about magic, illusions, and belief, Chokshi has perfect writing. Her characters are successful storytellers because she works so deftly, and she really does make an enchanting world throughout the novel. I also wouldn't just call this purple prose, because I think she maneuvers the reader through the story so well—to choose the ending she did and have me satisfied with our main characters is no easy feat, but it really did have the fairy tale *and all ends as it was meant to* feeling about it. I think she could've gone for a more horror-focused character arc if she wanted, but if there's one thing to take away from this it's that Chokshi loves fairy tales, and I think she told the tale she wanted to beautifully. In conclusion: I recommend if you're in the mood for a dreamy, mildly horrific, over-written story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Death, and Pedophilia

Minor: Child abuse, Self harm, and Child death

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.5

sometimes being delulu is NOT the solulu

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Alcohol, Blood, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Bullying, Incest, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent