Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

35 reviews

masonposte's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

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

1.5

I just wanted… more from this book. More magic (the main character has very cool powers and we barely get to see them?!), more plot - we so often stuck disempowered with the Protagonist when nothing is happening. The promise of the plot was not delivered on. We barely see the so-called love interest we barely see the magic,  we barely see the society of the pole. And even if Ophelia is asexual, which is the vibe I get, her husband to be treats her terribly and we barely get a reaction out of her! We don’t need love / romance for that relationship to play out but it just doesn’t. 

I also don’t know what Ophelias goals were for most of the book so we really aimlessly in her head. 

Then, maybe it’s just translation but there is so much incest reference. And there didn’t seem to be a point in it. Why is Berenile sensually looking at Thorn and her daughter in law? Holding her belly staring at him like she wants to be taken care of? Why does Ophelia read this as motherly? Tbh ate not even the half of it. Marrying cousins, having the baby of your ancestor, the absolute F. 

Thorn is the main love/would be romantic interest and is barely present. We are told of danger we don’t see. Archibald is presented with a clear arc opportunity totally ignored. It’s so dull that getting used to someone is seen as a declaration of love?! 

What was the point! Of any of it! There wasn’t a plot until 75% through - a reader needs goals. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Incest, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Suicide

aseel_reads's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.0

pretty disappointed in this, only because I thought I would like it (I didn't know anything going into this but heard good reviews) and I definitely did not. the last 150 pages (of my 494 edition) was interesting but I hated the beginning part and I just hated all the characters and the world argh. also I don't know if the original french used fancy language but the translation used heaps of higher calibre words, in that I actually googled the definition of a word... and I've never done that before. probably won't continue with the series for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

mxrumphius's review against another edition

slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Murder and Blood

Minor: Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Child death

incigiru's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, and Sexism

Minor: Fatphobia

emmeviene's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship