Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

15 reviews

spatterson7's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

noellegrace8's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

As stated in my review of The Cruel Prince, I really struggled to get into that first book. But I guess I got used to all the oddities, because I couldn't put this one down. There was less fluff, more politics, and it finally felt like the characters were the correct age for the things that are happening. They are adults now, making adult decisions and playing a dangerous adult game of power, authority, and death. I would no longer categorize this as "teen" literature, but "young adult." What really impresses me is that Holly Black manages to make me root for characters that are truly not good people, which is not typical for me. I wanted Jude to win in the first book. I was smug when she turned her knife on Cardan. But now in this one, I wasn't sure who to vie for. It seems like every time a character does something worth celebrating, they also do something that makes you hate yourself for liking them. The betrayals are painful but enticing. Also the cliff hanger??! My library is backed up 10 weeks for the last book and I am REELING about it. I don't know how I'm going to wait that long. This is fantasy done right, and true enemies to lovers (hopefully? Jury is still out on whether "lovers" is true...).

I don't factor the audiobook performance into my rating of the material itself, but I give Caitlin Kelly 4.5/5⭐. Again, by the second book in a series, I tend to get used to whatever problems I had with the voicing in the first. But honestly, there didn't seem to be as many parts where I felt the narrator wasn't portraying the correct emotion or tone of voice. A good performance, overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

mysafe_place's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

Definitely not a bad book, it was better than the first one. This time there was way more suspense and the book had more originality. Though I disliked the repetitive language and the fact that it was so highly plot-driven. I think there should have been more focus on the characters as individuals and how they interact. Still, I did like it, especially the ending was really entertaining. I have high hopes for the last book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm, Torture, Violence, and War

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I know that sometimes sequels suffer, but I personally found this one leagues above the first book in terms of tension, intrigue, and overall pacing. God these characters now have me in a chokehold <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Torture, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Self harm, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, and War

depictions of drowning

margaret_k30's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gore, Self harm, and Vomit

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

righettispaghetti's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use and Self harm

Minor: Animal death and Child abuse

cady_sass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Waaaaait wait wait. WHAT!!!! 
That’s it that’s the review. I am shook. One thing about holly black ….. she never writes what you think she’s writing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction and Self harm

Minor: Vomit

annorabrady's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

I love this series and the ease at which the author twists the plots. I love the dance of the romance, the mysteries of the deceptions constantly in motion, and the way the story makes Jude's actions and thoughts both understandable and frustrating though in a way that is satisfying in the end. 

I also love the nod to other stories written by Holly Black. I especially enjoyed the direct reference to The Darkest Part of the Forest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail