Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Juniper & Thorn by Ava Reid

90 reviews

arminam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Murder, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Antisemitism

kalehouse's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

gothic fantasy. if you’re a fan of wolf and the woodsman, i think this is very much in the same vein! similar character development and folklore. a little less mystical and a little more gothic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Pedophilia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, and Classism

jamie_reads_stuff's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.0

I’m so sorry, the girls that get it get it, the girls that don’t, don’t. It’s me I’m the girl that doesn’t get it.

READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS BEFORE READING THIS BOOK. Honestly it felt very aimless and I wasn’t really sure where the story was even going. I almost DNF it but I read to the end just to see how it ended. All the writing was really well done and descriptive but this book is not for me. Maybe because it’s more slow paced? Or like I don’t get the gothic horror references?? I dont knoww

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Excrement, Gore, Violence, and Vomit

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

niliii's review

challenging mysterious slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cannibalism and Violence

Minor: Death of parent, Eating disorder, and Alcoholism

emmague89's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, and Vomit

lindseyrenee's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Body shaming, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Alcoholism, and Pedophilia

takarakei's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-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

2.0

I typically go into books knowing little about them. In this case I was expecting a fantasy (albeit with darker elements) and did not know it was a fantasy/horror. As someone who is not much into horror as a genre that part was a surprise to me, however that is 100% on me.

If you are someone who enjoys fantasy horror I think you will love this book. It's not my cup of tea, but despite all that I did like this book for what it is. I am not familiar with the source of "the Juniper Tree" fairytale, but I don't think it's necessary to be.

The writing is atmospheric and certainly unique.

I did kind of figure out the "twist" at the end, but that was still ok. It's a happy ending which I appreciated after it being so dark (wasn't sure until the end of the book that it would be).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Vomit, and Gore

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent

maren_hemsath's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Death of parent, Incest, Vomit, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Antisemitism