Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Broken Bonds by J. Bree

22 reviews

simplicity1511's review

dark emotional tense 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

4.25

Every book but the last one ends in a cliffhanger. However, it feels like 1 book just divided into 6 parts which means no unnecessary summarizing of the previous books in the story.  I devoured each book within a week, which is why I recommend getting all the books at once if you hate cliffhangers.

The first two books are mainly told from Oli's perspective except in the second where we get a North Prologue. Every other book that follows is told from the various characters in the bonded group.

I found I wanted to know what the other characters were thinking a lot more than just hearing Oli's perspective since I'm so used to reading at least dual points of view or from the past and present within a story.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND CHECKING OUT THE TRIGGER WARNINGS I POSTED BECAUSE THEY WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER IDEA IF THIS BOOK SERIES IS FOR YOU. I RECOMMENDED A SIMILAR BOOK THAT'S YA (YOUNG ADULT) BUT STILL HAS ALL THE GREAT PLOTS THAT I ENJOYED IN THE BONDS THAT TIE WITHOUT ALL THE SUPER DARK INTENSE THEMES.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment and Bullying

Minor: Torture and Death of parent

I think if you're going to start this series you should know all the trigger warnings ahead of time before you become invested. Some of these content warnings are spoilers.

explicit sexual content, threesomes, orgies, war, murder, violence, explicit depiction of torture, incest/pedophilia, rapes and attempted rape (mentioned but not explicit), cult brainwashing, domestic & child abuse

The first two books make it seem like this story is like Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead where the main character leaves for a year and then is forced to come back, even though she and her best friend are being targetted making their school unsafe for them. Add some supernatural elements, hot guys and complicated family relationships and BAM a young adult version of "The BONDS THAT TIE' which is a dark ADULT romance series. If these trigger warnings scare you then I suggest reading Vampire Academy as the content in this series gets darker as you read.

phlipsie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Car accident

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Slavery, Abortion, Sexual violence, Police brutality, and Injury/Injury detail

farawaymoon0719's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Murder, Sexual assault, and Torture

melissa_rueff's review

emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.0

This book is a good example of poly rep but filled with horrid misogyny. Every part of this book is just the main character shitting on women for being feminine or pretty or interested in men. The main character just is just screaming internalized misogyny all over the book. Honest to God I almost didn’t finish the book because it was so misogynistic. I finished it because I like the poly concept, but I really really think that the author  
 is a “not like other girls” girl and that’s really disappointing to me.  Like the concept that you can write about a poly relationship yet you can’t think that other women who are  feminine are not shitty for being so. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Stalking, Rape, Kidnapping, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Body shaming, Car accident, Classism, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting

The relationship depicted is severely abusive. I believe the author did that intentionally to create plot points, but the fact that the main character doesn’t recognize and then states the treatment as domestic abuse at the level it is really makes me question what this author thinks is okay. because everything that is happening here is domestic abuse and not even light abuse like horrid treatment is astounding to me. If you’ve experienced any form of like gaslighting, or like control, this might not be the novel for you, I say all of that is a warning because I don’t feel like I was warned getting into this book. I did enjoy this novel it has a lot of fun plot points is an interesting concept. There are redeeming characters, but the fact of the matter is, there’s not enough of a warning how severe the domestic abuse is, and it’s never really touched on even later on in the other novels and nobody really apologizes for the severe severe abuse outside of like “I’m sorry that happened but it had to happen because of the plot points that wr as the character expierenced so it’s excuse” which is a shit excuse and also abuse in itself. Understand me I like this novel but I am warring you it’s a bad time.

bangiebangs's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Oh this was a tricky one.

Things I liked:
- the writing (notwithstanding occasional typos)
- the mysterious setup... this feels like a pretty new take (maybe I just havent read the book series similar to this one?)
- Gryphon. Also Atlas. They seem like rounded people who think before they act. (The rest of the bonds are just insufferably childish, self-centered dudes)

Things I disliked
- he world-building. There is some info about what these bonds are and how they work, but why, when do you usually learn about your bonds, how do you find them (like, some people are "waiting to find" them? Also, seems like you can reject a bond, what happens then? How is power heightened or acquired when a bond is completed? So many questions, but not in a good "mystery we will uncover" way, but more a "causes confusion when reading" way. Also, what is the Resistance resisting against and why? No idea. But they seem to be the baddies for some reason?
- the FMC's naivité. Annoying as hell. I'm personally not a fan of mysteriously self-sacrificing characters, especially when it is then used to explain some shitty behavior without much context?
- description of FMC through the book. She seems to have a normal (or even hot) body in the beginning, enjoying her food, and as soon as she is forced to do more physical exercise the fact her clothes don't fit and are too big gets mentioned a lot. I find that annoying. 
- How old are the bonds? Like, all around same age, or some way older? Some are councilmen and uni professors, others students?

But overall... I read this quickly, and I was hooked. Spice is not happening here (0.5/5 for some drooling over hot bodies), but that's likely because this is setting up the series. Wished that I wasn't so confused half of the time when it comes to in-world politics, but hoping that things will clear up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Body shaming, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Torture, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Stalking

Moderate: Death of parent, Car accident, and War

Minor: Abortion and Gun violence

sexual assault neglect (FMC is left without food for days on end, not being taken care of later in the book) FMC is violently implanted with a tracker (against her will)

doubletherazzle's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Solid audiobook read if you can get over the constant use of f bombs and pseudo f bombs. The plot wasn’t too complicated to track while listening and crafting/multitasking. The writing isn’t great and I agree with other reviews that say there’s a lot of whining, but I don’t think it’s an issue. She’s 19 and got a lot crap going on. I find the story interesting and dramatic and will definitely keep going. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Sexual assault, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Confinement, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, and Car accident

wellreadandhalfdead's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Abortion, and Body horror

jackieyvette's review

dark fast-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

0.5

I would have said at least a 3.25 if it did not have an SA scene, so that is the only thing that let it get more than a 0. I was not expecting it it literally came out of nowhere and was the only explicit scene in the whole book. 


Crying score: no. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Car accident, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture

Minor: Vomit

briochebun's review

adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

3 out of 5 ☆’s.

”I'm playing to win, Oli. This is one hand I refuse to lose.”

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I have heard many many things about ”Broken Bonds” within the past year & I am so excited to be beginning this journey! :)

I want to start off by saying that I adore the premise of this novel — it’s very original + interesting!

While the characters are also intriguing — I can’t wait to delve deeper into their personalities — there were times where they came across as being a bit juvenile? I wish there was better communication amongst all of the characters & not an absurd amount of mentions about things that Oli could never even think to share with her bonds (or the audience, for that matter).

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I am excited to continue the rest of the series & see how all of the relationships progress, though! ♡

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, Violence, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Car accident, Murder, Blood, Confinement, Grief, and Torture

megthecatlady's review

adventurous slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Violence, and Torture

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Death of parent