Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

54 reviews

orakuruno's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Now this is an enemies to lovers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, War, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Drug use, Bullying, Violence, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Gore

Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Trafficking, Torture, and Slavery

vereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

2blueshoes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

After a first book so mind bogglingly horrifying, I surprised myself by truly enjoying this sequel. The Cruel Prince felt like a sort of nightmarish junior high, where love isn’t real, everyone is miserable, and no one wins. The Wicked King felt a bit like high school, with characters finding their footing, and forging real relationships - and of course the stakes are much higher. 

Yes, the FMC is still deeply un relatable to me, and her choices made me want to pull my hair out in frustration. 

Yes, all of the characters continue to operate so far beyond morally grey areas they are all difficult to root for. 

And yet, somehow in the midst of the ever-more-complicated political schemes and endless list of confusing character names… I found myself loving this story. The plot twists were plentiful and intelligently written (I guessed exactly one). There was such steep character development that the FMC and MMC became entirely different people. There was relationship angst, but it was elegant rather than despicable. There was exactly one spicy scene and it was fade to black. The MMC’s tail wasn’t mentioned, praise be. 

 If you don’t care much for back story or world building, read a synopsis of book one and jump to book two. It will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat - or in my case - yelling “OMG” loudly in the car. 

I will immediately read book three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Bullying, Gore, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Vomit, War, Death of parent, Medical content, Slavery, and Suicide

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, and Blood

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse

magdapuczynska's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I gobbled this thing up quicker than any other book. It's a big improvement from the first book in the series and just the right mix of plot and spicyness. I'm looking forward to the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Confinement, and Bullying

Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content

jcrawford31's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Blood

juliesleseecke's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexual harassment, Murder, Torture, Bullying, Death, War, Blood, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Addiction, and Animal death

annick's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

4.25

Love the pacy plot and the intrigue and the ethically flawed choices of most of the characters. I’m off to read the next book regardless of how late it is already tonight 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, and Physical abuse

catrose97's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

WOW. I thought the first book was good but the second gas surpassed it! I read this entire book in about 2 days or so of travel. So much of the story had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Even times my mouth literally opened in surprise at certain parts I couldn’t believe just happened. This story is definitely darker than the first, with so much at play for the characters. You find out even more about each person and Jude becomes even more of a badass than she was in the first book (although she faces MANY difficulties and small defeats). The ending though has made me almost mad 😡. LIKE WHAT?! You know if you’ve read this book what I’m talking about. What the heck is going to happen in the third book?!?!?!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, and Confinement

Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Minor: Torture and Sexual content

ilaronicly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Torture

Moderate: Bullying and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol