Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw

35 reviews

litliz's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, and Infidelity

anarchist_al's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

A pretty disorienting read—we begin with a narrator whose storyline is simply abandoned for basically the rest of the book. It eventually makes sense, but was kind of a head scratcher for the majority of the book. I really liked the setting of Pastoral, with beautiful descriptions of trees and forest and darkness. I was really intrigued by Travis’s ability to read after images of an object’s history, and was disappointed that it wasn’t explored or explained more. It was very very light magical realism. Also,

the idea of a charismatic cult leader works really well, and that he could lead a community to believe existential falsehoods is totally realistic. However, the whole thing being hypnosis was kind of a stretch. If it had been another bit of magical realism special ability thing, I would have liked it more and it would have mirrored Travis/Theo’s ability.

Overall, cool concept and setting, cool mystery, interesting characters—an entertaining listen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, and Torture

bookwhisperer's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, and Suicide

Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Confinement and Drug use

princessnomi's review

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism

shantastic_reads's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

Well constructed beautifully eerie atmosphere - I could clearly visualize Pastoral in all its lush greenery and creepy stillness. The multiple POVs were effective in building tension, revealing different pieces of information and letting the reader put it together, bit by bit. The plot takes some predictable and unrealistic turns, and I think Travis' special ability described at the outset of the book is an unnecessary trope that doesn't ultimately add much.  That said, I enjoyed this story and had a hard time putting it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Pregnancy, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Medical trauma, Suicide, and Gun violence

anni_swanilda's review

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Suicide

milojean_reads's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicide

Moderate: Gun violence and Pregnancy

gm_vak's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, Ableism, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Torture, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Medical trauma

tamara_joy's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

As the back cover says, "a riveting, atmospheric thriller" is right.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pregnancy, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury

tormerritt's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Have you ever had a book hangover?
Where you can't start another book because you are still living in the most recent book you read? You constantly think about it even after the last page is finished? The emotions you experienced while reading it still remain... That is what I am feeling currently over, A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw.

I had to take a while to think about this review because I know anything that I write, won't give justice to this incredible book.

A History of Wild Places is about a man named Travis Wren who is hired as a last ditch effort to find Maggie St James, a children's author who has gone missing. Travis is known for his psychic abilities and is able to see "after images" or memories of another person with a touch of an object that belonged to them. Travis starts on a quest to find Maggie, but ends up finding a lot more than expected. I don't want to go into too much more detail and give away the book.

Ernshaw has such a rich and beautiful writing style, you feel mesmerized by the words on the page and transported in to this confusing, but also, enchanting and wild place. With this gorgeous prose, she invokes a sense of dread and darkness throughout this book. This story completely enveloped me and I've never felt so immersed or lost within a book. What a phenomenal, thrilling, and unique experience this was. 

If you are fascinated with commune living/cults, nature, the PNW wilderness you should go pick this up ASAP. If you want a tense, atmospheric, and mysterious read.... GO BUY THIS BOOK! I will never stop reccomending this one. As with all of the books I read, please check TW!

I'm sad that it is over and need so much more of this book. I want to read it over and over again. It is absolutely a new five-star favorite and it will remain displayed on my shelf, as it is truly a work of art. 

Thank you Shea Ernshaw for creating a truly amazing reading experience for me. You are a new favorite author and I have purchased all of your other books immediately after reading A History of Wild Places. I cannot wait to dive into them! (I am most excited for Long Live the Pumpkin Queen coming out in July!) ❤

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Death, and Blood