Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

5 reviews

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

bookmark3brodi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Murder, Classism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Drug abuse

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, Gore, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Drug use, Deportation, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, War, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Torture, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Violence, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders

onefineelephant's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

7/10. Much of what I didn't like about the first book carried on to this one, but I liked this one more because the plot seemed more cohesive and the romance aspect came more into focus. However, the romance isn't as fulfilling as I expected or wanted from this type of high-fantasy book. I don't like that Jude doesn't have a confidant, someone she trusts that she can talk to. I also really didn't like the ending because it seemed to erase all of the major plot points of the book in like 15 pages. I will say that there are some good lines throughout the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Violence, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcohol, Sexual assault, Drug use, and Vomit

egurgens's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

To be honest, I don’t like this book as much as I did the first one. Although Jude is just as much of a badass as she was in the first one, there is a lot more at play in this book, and she doesn’t get to show it off as much as in the first book.  This book was also a little slower than the first one, although the ending was still super dramatic. The first book seemed to maybe be driven equally by both plot and character development, but this one seems to favor plot over character. Let’s just say, I’m pissed at the ending, and I’m mad at a great many characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Bullying, Confinement, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Drug use