Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Change by Kirsten Miller

14 reviews

feralsarah's review against another edition

dark 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

4.5

Intensely riveting. I loved the cast of women in this book and their use of feminine rage. At times I was laughing at the audacity of some of the men and other times on the verge of tears for the hurt they bestowed on the women. 

I docked just a half star because I would have liked to see some LGBTQIA+ representation, otherwise I absolutely loved this book 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Trafficking

knit_the_resistance's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

Where is the ten stars button? 

Do hate the patriarchy? do you occasionally find yourself fantasizing about P Diddy, some fresh honeycomb, and a swarm of angry bees? Does the idea of Harvey Weinstein being consumed alive by a toxic fungus give you a little frisson of schadenfreude? if so, then sister, do I have a book for you. 
Suspend your disbelief, because The Change is a wild damn ride. 
A small, idyllic seaside town. An wealthy, gated enclave.  A group of obscenely wealthy, powerful, and deeply shitty men. Three women discover that they have superpowers activated by perimenopause (including Jo, whose rage causes things to melt or go up in flames). Together, they discover the corpse of a murdered girl... and the ghosts of many more. 
Vengeance is sweet. And really gruesome. 
I don't know if you have to be female and in your late 40s-early 50s to love this book with the light of a thousand suns, but it probably doesn't hurt. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

brujakatt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

juanat77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

prose_and_peonies's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

This book was a bit much for me. It is very heavy, even the parts we are supposed to cheer for. I think I was supposed to be happy at how the ending turned out, but I wasn’t. While this one localized issue was resolved, what about the rest of the world? 

I also had some questions that were unanswered. If other women like the three main characters exist and have existed for generations, how isn’t there a larger network of them?  

After certain characters were introduced I knew fairly quickly they’d end up being the bad folks, but I didn’t know how. I almost DNF this audiobook several times but I did ultimately want to know how it ended. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

anne_reader's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

ms_elchert's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

kindredspirit7's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

cheye13's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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? No

5.0

Yet another book that I don't think was pitched to me correctly. I had heard it was a sort of witchy book about post-menepausal women starting a coven and gaining powers. This is not that, but the only disappointment I have about it is I still want to read that book too.

The synopsis is more accurate than the elevator pitch I got. These are adult women (though I wouldn't call them all "middle age") who always sort of had these magic powers, and are just now beginning to embrace and express them after meeting each other and beginning to uncover a conspiracy. Essentially it is much more a crime/mystery/thriller with a little magic than it is a true paranormal.

This book gave me so much more than I expected, and I truly enjoyed it. It's cathartic, angry, vengeful. Satisfying in every way I wanted from it. It was also terribly sad. There's a lot of heavy, tense, and upsetting memories and flashbacks, and the crimes involved in the conspiracy are abhorrent. I did find myself tearing up more than once. But the book's message is clear and vindicating and never once felt exploitative.

I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by this book; this is what I want whenever I pick up something in the "women killing men" genre but rarely ever hope for. This one finally delivers.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

essentially an Epstein revenge fantasy; the story is primarily intended as cathartic, but while the majority of the crimes occur off-page, the story does not shy away from acknowledging their occurrence.

The backbone of the plot is a sex-trafficking ring of billionaire men who kidnap, sexually abuse, and kill teen girls. While these specific crimes are never on-page, the fallout and details of them are included.

Knowing this spoiler does not ruin the story in my opinion. There are unpleasant/criminal police characters, but there is not technically police brutality.

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

First read of 2023 started off with a bang! I absolutely adored this feminist, witchy read. With multiple POVs, but mostly focused on Nessa, Harriet & Jo, I loved to hear their life experiences and yow they got to where they are now. The strength, power and pursuit of justice, a world where all women and girls can be safe  was so beautifully crafted and inspiring, I just I did not want to put this book down. Plus, January LaVoy was incredible as a narrator. She has such a talent for distinguishing voices for each character in a way that is so immersive—my favourite narrator to date! I can’t recommend this magical realism revenge thriller enough & I really hope a sequel is in the works. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent

I