Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

5 reviews

prosenheim's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

scam_lark's review

Go to review page

dark 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? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

qraveline's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

frogggirl2's review

Go to review page

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

2.5

This book is entirely made up of purposefully obfuscating key plot points - it's relentless and heavy-handed.  The chapters set in a previous time frame are completely useless - they're brief and they don't really build characterization or add anything to the plot (except briefly showing what should have been easily explained in the normal timeline). The historical timeline establishes some horrific abuse which is insufficiently dealt with in the book.

Everyone speaks as if this is a contemporary, American YA novel,  however, this is allegedly set in England post WWI.  The various POV narrative voices are indistinguishable.

This has a very familiar vibe: Alix E Harrow's, "The Once and Future Witches" plus "Practical Magic" plus "The Great Gatsby." The ideas here have been done before (often better) in these books. That said, it's the execution that's lacking. This tediously slow book could be edited down by a 100+ pages and be greatly improved. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

tigerlilliereads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging 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

4.25

Wow! This was rollercoaster ride of a book. Dark and bewitching the whole way through. 

This book Initially gives you a gender switched Gatsby feel but… I am allowed to say better? With witchcraft, blood debts and sacrifices, evil spirits, creepy crows and complex relationships. This book focuses on the main character of Annie, whose estranged father dies and she goes to the island he has been living on to settle his affairs. There she reconnects with her lost friend Bea, discovers family truths and a strange beautiful neighbour that throws parties that are not strictly legal… 

Honestly didn’t have any expectations going into this book, I had just seen it talked about so much. But this book is definitely darker and more wicked than I anticipated, the characters are complex but I loved them and the way the story unfurled. Very dramatic, dark and creepy at times…  I love a witchy book, this one was outside my normal comfort zone but I loved it. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...