Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha

8 reviews

clarabooksit's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Murder, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, and Misogyny

Moderate: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, and Infertility

Minor: Sexual assault

robinks's review

adventurous 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? No

4.5

I loved how traditional Korean lore was weaved in to the story. The illustrations were wonderfully detailed and colorful.

I wish there was a bit more to the love story, as it seemed really rushed at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Misogyny, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Classism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Violence, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Sexual violence, Ableism, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Vomit

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, and Infertility

jartone93's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, and Sexual assault

betweentheshelves's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

4.0

This hooked me from the beginning! The art is stunning, the characters are engaging, and it feels like a folktale in the overall writing. Based on the Korean legend of the fox-demon woman Gumiho, Ha includes themes that still apply to a lot of women today. All of the elements work together to create such an engaging graphic novel.

However, it's not quite getting five stars because the ending felt quite abrupt. Each section of the story felt like it got room to breath, but the ending was wrapped up in just a few pages. Not sure if this was intended because of the mythology aspect, but I wish there was just a little more there are at the end. If you're looking for a great graphic novel to pick up during Women's History Month, I definitely recommend this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Sexual assault, and Blood

Minor: Bullying, Ableism, and Domestic abuse

clarke's review against another edition

medium-paced

3.75

The Fox Maidens primarily centres on Kai, the daughter of the man famed to have killed the fox demon and the woman rumoured to be her. The YA graphic novel tells her tale, the legend of Gumiho (the fox demon), her parents histories, with some small sections on Sura, an assassin sent to kill Kai. 

The novel is rich in Korean culture, with notes adding further information about the culture and history, alongside the fantasy. I enjoyed the story, and whilst I wasn't familiar with the legend prior to reading, I think fans of Mulan and Teen Wolf will enjoy it. It was written and illustrated quote simply, so I think readers on the younger age of the spectrum would also enjoy it. It made for a quick easy read for me. 

I'll echo another review who wanted more of Kai and Sura together - being badass and their love story. I felt like I was waiting and waiting for it, to only get a tiny bit at the end. It felt like Sura was forgotten for most of the novel. This was disappointing for me, as based on the description citing this plot point (plus it's tagged as LGBT first, before fantasy) I expected it much earlier than the end. If it was sold to me differently, it would have been a nice addition to the story. Both characters were 'not like other girls' and Kai explicitly didn't want to marry a man, which is valid in its own right (and also fine for a teenager to change their mind later), despite pressure and comments from those around her. I liked that her father support her interests and stood up for her in front of others. Her passion and determination was heralded as an asset, and he didn't use it against her. 

In summary, an enjoyable fantasy but the ending was rushed, Sura was almost forgotten about, but overall good for younger audiences. Thank you to netgalley for the arc. 
 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Death of parent, Classism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Infertility

creatingavery's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book. 

I had such a great time reading this story! I knew some things about the nine tailed fox but I learned a lot more about Korean culture surrounding that myth from this novel. The art was beautiful, and I loved how the stories were layered seamlessly so that they were easy to follow. 

I was really happy with the queer representation in this book. The love story feels very sincere and heartfelt as well as fit beautifully into the story. I found myself getting really emotional over it.

The twists kept coming in a way I didn’t expect, which kept me turning pages. The pacing of this story was right on point to keep me interested. 

I wish I could read this again for the first time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood and Body horror

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, Animal death, Death, Blood, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Bullying

msbrewstersreads's review

emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

3.5

First, the graphics in this book are absolutely stunning. I cannot wait to see the entire thing in color. Kai is a very likable main character and I did enjoy her character arc as it pertains to the Korean folktale. However, the romance aspect of the novel felt a bit incomplete -

it did not feel like Kai and her love interest at the end of the book knew each other well enough for them to be in love and for her to sacrifice herself for Kai.

The back of the book says that it tackles themes of feminism, bodily autonomy, and generational trauma. I would agree that it does that very well without it being too phoned in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Misogyny, Death, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail