Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

486 reviews

bernasep's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous emotional slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Book #1 of the ACOTAR Series

The opening book of this fantasy series presents a somewhat stereotypical enemies-to-lovers plot featuring Feyre, a 19-year-old woman from an impoverished family on the brink of starvation, and Tamlin, a wealthy and attractive fae male who is the high lord of the spring court. Initially, Feyre is kidnapped by Tamlin, and after numerous attempts to escape, she eventually falls for him. This, however, only constitutes the first two-thirds of the book.

Suddenly, the setting, tone, and rhythm of the narrative shift as Tamlin is captured by the evil fae Amarantha. Feyre willingly enters captivity too, battling to save Tamlin from Amarantha's clutches. This segment of the book delves into themes of suffering, violence, and sexual abuse, with Feyre enduring hardships while Tamlin appears incapable of aiding her.

Personally, I struggled with the first two-thirds of the book, but persevering was rewarding due to the surprising plot twist. Overall, I view the book as an extended epilogue for the series, providing a detailed backstory for the protagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content

skeletor23's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Book really drags in the beginning to give too much world exposition before we even have the chance to care, surrounds main character by a family of near irredeemable characters that makes reader question why it spends so much time on them in the beginning, and repeats formulaic sequence of main character outright being stupid and putting self into harms way by doing the opposite of advice given, having to be rescued time and time again in drawn out false climaxes. That being said, the book redeems itself in the 3rd quarter, building on characters, creative action sequences, romance, and straight up gore and tragedy into resolution to make us feel something for an initially dull and annoyingly dumb main character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism

book spends so much time focusing and building on a main love interest (Tamlin) that it basically character assassinates them at the end by having him do literally nothing and say nothing to help save the main character-who is literally going through a prolonged gauntlet of death and torture to free him out of love- from being brutally beaten and mentally broken and eventually horrifically and slowly killed in front of him. Feels like a massive waste of his character and readers time, and is frustrating to the reader.

mollyh_1202's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous funny 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

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This book got me back into reading. It may not be the best in the series, but it pulls you in and holds you there. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual assault

_b0ok_l0v3r's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Kidnapping, War

Minor: Vomit, Alcohol

amandamarieger's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This was good! But the lack of diversity was STARK compared to what I’ve been reading the last few years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

lavendar's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment

kailiyahknight's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Excrement, Grief, Alcohol, War

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Sexual harassment

va_nessa's review against another edition

2.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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I wanted to DNF it at least five times because it had me cringing so hard.  I’m surprised I made it through. There’s no real plot-twists, you can basically expect most of what will happen next. I can’t really say why there’s such a hype about the book, I found it rather dull. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment

torben_'s review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault

uphorikbooks's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Slavery, War

Minor: Physical abuse, Vomit, Death of parent, Alcohol