Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

61 reviews

scarletrose169's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

kaelilili's review

3.5

dark emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book suffered from Main Character Syndrome. Somehow, everything always worked out, and the main character was always the most popular, beautiful, and lusted-after girl in the whole Universe. I understand that this book is an opportunity for the author to create an idealized world, but it was a little too convenient how things worked out. It felt like I was reading a fanfiction a lot of the time. Everything was really trope-y and predictable.

Also, I did not like the war aspect. It was so lazy and not fleshed out. It felt like a plot device to create tension rather than an actual conflict. Lastly, her being turned into a deity at the end to stay in Hell was so dumb and too convenient. I was left going “Of course” because why wouldn’t it work out for her when everything else in the book did?

Despite my criticisms, I did like the representations of healthy relationships and communication between partners and parents/guardians and children. That was a highlight of this book that improved my rating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Blood

Minor: Vomit, Alcohol

Characters have consensual sex throughout the book in detail. There are moments where two characters relive a memory from their childhood regarding sexual assault, self-harming, and rape. A character fights in a war and kills an entire population of a species, including children. A character is diagnosed with and dies of cancer at the beginning of the book before entering the afterlife. Characters consume moderate amounts of alcohol in social settings in some scenes. A character gags and almost vomits but does not actually puke. However, this scene can be triggering for those with emetophobia.

literarianrose's review

4.25

emotional funny hopeful

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

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I've been watching Hell's Belles for.... Well. I remember when Penny showed up. My favorite medium of entertainment is by far books. Getting to read about Lily and Bel falling in love (with the internal thoughts!) was such a dream come true. I can't wait for the next book. But I will patiently do so because Jaysea gives us so much through Hell's Belles and now this book. She deserves to rest in this crazy world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Terminal illness, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, War

rcchicago's review

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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As a fan of the Jaysea Lynn's (@sea.ya.later) Hell's Bells series on TikTok, I was ecstatic to hear that she was writing a prequel novel. I was blown away by the depth and care to which she wrote these characters. The relationships between Lily, Bel, Sharkie, Luci, and all of the others feel grounded in reality even if she is talking about a 7 foot tall purple demon or a sentient Hobbit-hole.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

layneascher's review against another edition

4.0

lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, Medical trauma, War

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide

The sex scenes can be skimmed pretty easily and there are no major plot points involved in the sex scenes for people who like to skip when it gets too graphic.

letsjocy's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

starlit_angel's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria

hazlenut's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Grief, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Car accident

ceruleanseas's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit

brennieree33's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful 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: Complicated

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Jesus Christ. This book made me literally sob on multiple occasions. I found the Hell's Belles series on Tiktok pretty soon after it started and quickly grew to love it. My own complicated relationship with religion made me often cry at the series because I hoped so badly that this is what heaven and God would be like. This book just reinforced that. Seeing Sharky, Lily, and Bel grow and come together as a family and heal from individual wounds made me sob. At work, at the car coming home from work, in my room, all over. I'm so glad she wrote thisl  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Violence, War

Minor: Child death, Death

The main character deals with wanting to have been a mom but couldn't during her life, and in the afterlife has fertility issues (because, well, she's dead) and the struggles that go with that.