Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis

6 reviews

amberinpieces's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gun violence, and Medical content

Minor: Cursing, Bullying, Alcohol, Car accident, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit

joyreadsbuku's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

3,5 stars - Short review: I wish I read this book in October bcs the season/setting would have matched the book's. I liked the paranormal aspect and the power Katrell (protagonist) has. Despite all the trauma, I'm still willing to rate this 3,5 stars bcs of the topics and experiences mentioned as Katrell has to make decisions to not end up in poverty

or in foster care

.

Long(er) review: Okay... I read this book bcs of a YouTuber who wanted to read it. It is described as BGM (Black Girl magic) and the YouTuber said that the author sent it to her, who said that there is "no trauma" in this book. Tell me why, from the very first page to the very last, there was nothing but trauma? Yes, there is one trigger warning at the beginning ("Content note: this book contains depictions of child and animal abuse), but then why would the author say that there isn't any trauma...? I mean, a lot of people dnf'ed bcs of this very reason.

When I hear BGM, I think of Amari (Amari and the Night Brothers), Zélie (Children of Blood and Bones), and Deka (The Gilded Ones). This is not that, at all. I've watched other reviews on YouTube and one person said that this isn't a heavy book. Let me tell you now: this book is very heavy and emotionally taxing;

from the physical abuse of Katrell's mom's boyfriend towards Katrell, to him shooting her dog in front of her, to him pointing a gun at her, to Katrell having to provide for both her mom and her mom's boyfriend, to her mom putting her boyfriend above Katrell, to her mom neglecting Katrell, gaslighting her & letting her boyfriend physically abuse her daughter.

 

Idk who the target audience was, but if you're looking for BGM like the books I've mentioned above, this is not it. Just be (emotionally) prepared, bcs I wasn't, and I had to put the book down several times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Drug abuse

imstephtacular's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Tiffany D Jackson meets Stephen King. What a ride! I love fantasy grounded in reality and this delivered. This is DARK and devastating, but also a powerful and nuanced look at real issues like poverty, foster care, abuse, and privilege. I look forward to Lewis’ sophomore novel in 2023

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Gore

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, Dysphoria, Grief, Misogyny, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Sexism and Vomit

shadeyc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This was not what I expected. TRIGGER WARNINGS: physical and mental abuse/child abuse/parental abuse, abandonment, death of animal on page, gore. 
I am mad at this book. I am mad at the blurb writers. Again - this was NOT what I expected. 
This is incredibly well written and powerful, and made me cry multiple times. 
However, WHERE THE HELL ARE THE CONTECT WARNINGS!?!?!?! THOSE NEED TO BE AT THE BEGINNING. SEE ABOVE - YOU'RE WELCOME. 
I expected to have some fun with some drama and tense shit and reveals and magic and then satisfaction. But no, I got ambushed by a story about abuse and abandonment that just happens to have resurrection in it. I'M MAD. AND SAD. BUT MOSTLY MAD.  
Read this book, it's really good, but read it KNOWING what you're getting into. I feel like my rating could be higher if it wasn't so upset. 
The characters are devastatingly human and suck you in. It's worth it. but protect yourself first. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Minor: Bullying and Gun violence

bookswhitme's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

allisonwonderlandreads's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Well, shit. This book is unlike any other book I've read. Technically YA contemporary fantasy, this is the story of Katrell. Her power of writing letters to summon the dead gets a sudden, unexplained upgrade, seemingly leading to full-on resurrections. Katrell is the main money-earner for her and her mother and her mother's boyfriend, so she is relieved at the new potential business venture to make rent and keep the power on. Despite Katrell's best efforts to keep everything under control, both the living and the undead have other plans, and everything starts to spiral.

I see people write in reviews sometimes "this book wrecked/destroyed me," and I admit that is not a common reaction I have when reading, but in this case, exceptions must be made. I've been razed to the ground by this book. The gut-wrenching author's note and dedication at the beginning had me sitting up and paying attention even before page 1, and the story held my undivided attention for the duration-- a great feat, indeed. This book is not for the faint of heart. I was crying before the 10% mark, and that was far from the last time. I didn't track every time I cried because how ridiculous would that be... but it happened again in the final pages of the book, so at least we can agree it was intermittent right until the bitter but hopeful end. I attribute the emotional reaction not only to the content of the story but also to the author's vivid, cutting writing and matter-of-fact narration. There are no frills, just brutal honesty.

Let me give you some less emotional, more cogent points about why you should read this one: Katrell is savvy, hard-headed, and loyal. Her responsibilities weigh her down, with no horizon in sight. This is her difficult, gruesome journey towards something better. It's about accepting help and support, and realizing there is something better to look forward to, an unconditional love that is reciprocated and deserved. In a rare move for a young adult book, there is no romantic plot, the focus on friendship and (found) family and self-love.

This book is not meant to be an easy read. Trigger warnings include physical and emotional abuse, neglect, animal death, murder, and extreme poverty. If you are in a place to pick this one up, it's a powerful read, one that has thoroughly lodged itself in my mind, maybe my soul.

Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, out 8/24.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Drug abuse