Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

9 reviews

andreanneveillette's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal death, and Death

thehobbitbarbie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Child death, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, Mental illness, War, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Classism, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Death, Sexual content, and Violence

fjerda's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

Pullman has crafted an intricate world so beautiful and sinister that I adored the read. Although perhaps not a strong as the first book in terms of plot, the descriptive language is effortlessly and incomparably luscious.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Torture, War, Animal cruelty, Child death, Blood, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence

jadziaaudrey's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Animal death, and Child death

Minor: Kidnapping, Bullying, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

orchidlilly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

A fascinating sequel to an excellent beginning. This time, we get perspectives beyond Lyra's with more frequency, and I rather like being able to read the story from all sides. We end on a very compelling cliffhanger, ready to start the next book. My only complaint is that in this second part of the trilogy, Lyra loses a good bit of her charm and free will. It's a bit annoying to see Lyra immediately fall into an almost subservient role the second a male character comes into play. Where is that independence and determination that so greatly defined her in the first book?

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, Blood, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal death, Gaslighting, Violence, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Misogyny

Minor: Medical content, Ableism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Drug use, Gore, Racism, Torture, Classism, Abandonment, Dementia, and Death of parent

jessthanthree's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Torture, War, Child death, Animal death, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Bullying, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

hedsek's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

Again, super cool world and story but pretty bad dialogue and relationships. I rated it a bit lower than the previous book because I really think Lyra went downhill as a character. She was a pretty strong female lead and now she mostly just listens to Will which is a pity. Still, love the religious themes and such.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gun violence, and Mental illness

ceallaighsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

“You ever spend any time among the witches?”
“Yes,” said Grumman. “And among academicians, and among spirits. I found folly everywhere, but there were grains of wisdom in every stream of it. Not doubt there was much more wisdom that I failed to recognize. Life is hard, Mr. Scoresby, but we cling to it all the same.” 

 

Even though I still liked The Subtle Knife, it didn’t have a lot of what I loved so much about the first book—namely the specific world building that had been present in Lyra’s world. I also thought that this book felt a lot more quest-y than the first book, even though Lyra was definitely on a quest in Golden Compass, it didn’t have the same feel, perhaps because there was a stronger use of fate or destiny in this book along with seeking magical objects to fulfill prophecies, etc. 

 

It’s also interesting that Pullman introduced a second main character of the trilogy in this book in the form of Will—a human from “our” world. I actually really liked Will, I sympathized with him a lot and liked his contrast with Lyra. 

 

Something else I liked about this book were the dark academia vibes surrounding Lyra’s experience at the museum as well as her encounter with Dr. Malone. I really liked the story element connected to John Parry as well. 

 

There were still some problematic elements carried over from the previous book. Neither Mrs. Coulter nor Lord Asriel got any more interesting or sympathetic. I still didn’t like a lot of the colonial themes and the white savior trope that continued in the character of Lord Asriel and to an extent in Lyra and Will…. 

 

There were also some choices Pullman made vis a vis the story’s plot in this book that left me confused…. especially regarding Dr. Grumman and the witch? Idk. I still liked the book (and the quote I quoted from it at the top of this review is one of my favorite quotes of all time now 🥰) but it just didn’t answer any of my questions leftover from the first book. Which is why I immediately started Amber Spyglass when I finished reading it even though that wasn’t my plan. 🤷🏻‍♀️😂 

 

“It was difficult to tell them the truth when a lie would have been so much easier for them to understand.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Death, Murder, and Mental illness

paduckling's review

adventurous mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, and War

Minor: Car accident