Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

12 reviews

fayesavanne's review

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Xenophobia, Drug use, Vomit, Death of parent, Antisemitism, Violence, Eating disorder, Gore, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Murder, Sexual assault, and Pedophilia

morgangd's review

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

An intense tale of trauma in dark fairy tale mode, with every trigger warning under the sun and maybe, just maybe, actually too crass. But it did move me at parts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Body shaming, Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

sydapel's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I really love Ava Reid's writing voice, it feels so lyrical and darkly alluring that you can't help but be sucked in, no matter how disturbing and dark the story gets. So while I did read this very fast, I don't think the overall plot structure or character development is done all that well. Marlinchen has these frustrating fits and starts of character development throughout the book that fail to carry weight after a while. The love story feels underdeveloped and childish, while other more interesting elements (the sister dynamic of the characters) needed far more time spent with it. Like I said, Ava Reid is one of the most interesting new authors I've read and I'm excited for the rest of her work, but I don't think this one was quite ready. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Self harm, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, Racism, Drug use, and Eating disorder

bookmark3brodi's review

challenging mysterious fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Rape, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Self harm, Cannibalism, Child death, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Body shaming, Bullying, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism

frankieclc's review against another edition

writing style and content just really isn’t for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, and Drug use

slvt4b00ks's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This story follows Marlinchen, one of three daughters of the greatest wizard in Obylan, as she forges her own path despite living under an abusive father and alongside wicked sisters. Marlinchen soon finds herself driven to disobey her fathers orders to not leave the house after one night at the ballet in Obylan where she meets the heartbreakingly beautiful and tortured Sevastyian. As Marlinchen is sneaking out and living her best life, there is a monster stalking the streets of Obylan stealing the hearts and livers of men. 

This has been my all time favorite book I have read. Period. Reid is a master of weirdly beautiful and unique metaphors and other literary devices. I had no idea people could write and create such beautiful captivating atmospheres that are equally as horrifying and dark.

I couldn’t name all of the trigger warnings that this needs to be filed under. There were parts of this that were very difficult to read. Expect rape, abuse, alcoholism, cannibalism, self mutilation, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, so on and so forth.

That being said I think the author touched on every single one of those sensitive subjects with brutal honesty and also something like grace. 

For a majority of the book I found the story very character driven. Toward the end it picked up but it was so worth it. Highly recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Torture, Violence, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Vomit

wonderfulwaytooweird's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

Beautiful dark fairy tale like story about trauma and love persevering through it and the damage left over. This gothic romance was raw and hard to swallow but so rich and entrancing. Loved it so much and could not put the book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cannibalism, Sexism, Chronic illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Self harm, Vomit, and Drug use

booksdogsandcoffee's review

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.25

Ava Reid has done it again in their sophomore novel. Juniper and Thorn starts off as a slow moving quaint little story about.. well stories and how the truth can be hidden within those stories.

We follow Marlinchen and her two older sisters who are forced to live with their father who just so happens to be the only wizard in their town of Oblya. Everyday they are to do as their father says, feed him, take care of the house, serve the clientele who come to their house for treatment.

Finally one night her sisters invite Marlinchen out into town with them, breaking their horrid fathers rules, She has never seen the outside world, but her sisters have been going out behind her back for years. So once she has a taste of the outside world she needs more. Especially when she catches the eye of the theaters best dancer.

Marlinchen continues to disobey her father, realizing the world is much more than the stories she has been told. But being out in the world she also finds there are monsters, for one is killing men and has an insatiable appetite.

This was one of those books that I was confused for about 75% of the time and then everything clicked and I went OH SHIT! It was so dark, so good and such a gruesome look at how trauma affects us. Ava handled it beautifully and this book shocked me to my core.

cw/tw
child abuse
gore
xenophobia
blood
violence
antisemitism
eating disorder
misogyny
sexism
sexual assault
gaslighting
sexism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Grief, Gore, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Self harm, Murder, Gaslighting, Body horror, Blood, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Animal death, Xenophobia, Vomit, Violence, Child abuse, and Alcohol

rebeccajost's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Cannibalism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Murder, Vomit, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, and Gore

mjwhitlock18's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.5

Contains vivid description of traumatic themes. Please thoughtfully heed content warnings and take care of yourself if you choose to read. 

A dark gothic horror retelling of a Brothers Grimm fairytale, and while it’s technically fantasy, these characters and the issues they face are very real and deeply human. Reid builds a world with rich detail and hauntingly beautiful descriptions, setting the eerie tone for the novel. From the POV of Marlinchen, who is a seemingly naive, sweet, imperfect, insecure witch trapped taking care of her abusive wizard father. On a secret night out with her sisters, she gets a taste of the world through the ballet (and its captivating leading man), and starts to yearn for freedom. Full of many dark themes, includes vivid portrayal of trauma, but also realistically portrays survival, and ultimately working towards healing. 

CW: eating disorder (bulimia), physical/emotional/sexual abuse (including that of a minor), on page sexual assault, pedophila, body horror/gore, violence, cannibalism, alcoholism, misogyny, antisemitism, drug use 

Thank you to Avon, HarperVoyager, and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this eARC! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Violence, Cannibalism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Misogyny, and Drug use

CW: eating disorder (bulimia), physical/emotional/sexual abuse (including that of a minor), on page sexual assault, pedophila, body horror/gore, violence, cannibalism, alcoholism, misogyny, antisemitism, drug use