Reviews tagging 'Death'

Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo, Ren Graham

7 reviews

jtjacks20's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Bullying, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Ableism

Minor: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Grief

frantic_vampire's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious 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

This was really fun! I loved that this had the styling of a black and white horror movie but it didn’t have a high key horror theme to it. It was more urban fantasy/paranormal with the ghosts and the werewolf attacks. I also loved that all the characters got to be teenagers, even when things were starting to go a little sideways. This is getting a four out of five stars!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Chronic illness

Minor: Death, Transphobia, and Death of parent

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Death

ezwolf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was very cute (in the way a werewolf, ghost, mystery graphic novel can be) and I liked it, I just wish it was a tiny bit more detailed both with the characters and the magical elements. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Bullying, and Gun violence

Minor: Death of parent and Medical content

pey333's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Blood, and Death

bookenbee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

I loved this! The end felt rushed, but it was overall a well paced story and great characters. Tony and Eli are so sweet together. If there was a sequel to this to answer some questions/give us more background on the characters it would be even better!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Ableism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship

asipofcozy's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-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? Yes

3.0

Blackwater is a spooky contemporary-paranormal story that follows the story of two young teenagers just trying to find their place in the world. Eli a chronically ill boy who is wanting to live a normal life, and Tony who just wants his parents to be there for once. Of course, thrown in some spirits, a werewolf prancing around the forest, and teenage angst...and there you have Blackwater in a nutshell!

I believe my favorite part of this graphic novel was the art style. I was impressed with the spooky vibes it was giving off and I definitely felt like I was put in a twilight zone/ stranger things situation. Also, is it just me or does Tony look like Fonzie from Happy Days. Lol, was I the only one growing up watching older shows! 

As for the story itself. The premise of the novel was intriguing to me. I loved the idea of seeing ghosts and having werewolves run around. However, I felt like the plot and backstory were falling flat for me. Especially when the plot raced ahead and didn't pause to give us any context on the situation. There was a missing context that would have been nice to know, some back history to this town that seems to have a lot of supernature creatures living in it. 

Also, having a background on the characters would have been nice as well. It would have helped slow the plot a bit and given us more history on the characters. I felt like I was missing something when Tony talked about his mom and was thrown through a loop of Eli being from Germany. 

However, I do recommend this graphic novel to anyone that wants those spookyish vibes and a quick read when you are in a reading slump!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Violence

Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Animal death

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death