Reviews tagging 'Mass/school shootings'

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

10 reviews

hilocrasher's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gore, and Gun violence

ging090803's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible.
Each book was better than the previous one. I'm glad I stuck to it.
I loved how we had so many POVs but were still kept in the dark for the major plots so it kept the story intriguing. I couldn't stop reading, I just wanted to know what would happen next.
At some point, it started to circle a little, but I was still hooked on the story. Tho, the thing that got me mixed up a little was how the chronological order wasn't really followed.
The story takes place 3 years after the sinking, but it is important to know what happened in between. Yet, it goes back and forth between periods and I'm the kind who needs some order in a timeline to not get lost, but it was still manageable.
Goddard has not changed. He is still execrable. He still gets on my nerves.

Love turned Rand weaker I feel. This is not a bad thing but didn't feel like the psycho from the first book.

Greyson was okay. He was a little bit of a pain in the "rear" being the martyr and the big guy at the same time.

But he got better more the book advanced. We could see, by the end, why he was truly chosen

2 things bothered me tho :
1.

Faraday's depression. He was important for a while then became nothing. It was kinda sad and a little useless by that point. He discovered the atolls and then... nothing but complains. I do understand his feelings but at what point was he a necessary character. And the little deception when they opened the bunker. I was waiting for the big reveal.

2.

Citra and freaking Rowan. Why??? First, their relationship is sooo intense, I feel it's a little overtop. Yet, don't get me wrong, I'm still a stucker for them both. That's why my heart literally shattered when she was killed in the final scene and Rowan had to wait another freaking 117 years before getting together. They are like another type of Romeo-Juliette lovers and it was painful to read. Torture.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Violence, Blood, Genocide, Death, Murder, and Gun violence

Moderate: War

chelly_reads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Murder

chiromiki's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Violence, Mass/school shootings, Genocide, Confinement, and Terminal illness

Minor: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

seren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Genocide, War, Mass/school shootings, and Death

marareading's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed this third book more than book two. The twists were more intense. I am not sure how I feel about the ending yet. The plot of this particular book is so random, I. Not sure if I love it or not. It is definitely going to sit with me, and on that basis alone it gets high marks. It is original, and very well thought out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Violence, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Bullying, Kidnapping, Suicide, Terminal illness, War, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Self harm

book_bear's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow! What an excellent series! I was shocked by all the twists and turns! My one complaint is the book moving all over the place from different times, here to there. Other than that, it was great!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Suicide, Hate crime, and Gun violence

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, Death, War, Gun violence, Torture, Murder, Xenophobia, Suicide, and Hate crime

Moderate: Kidnapping, Confinement, and Grief

cepbreed's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

I am in awe. I really thought this book was on track to be the worst in the series, but I couldn't have been further from correct. In fact I enjoyed it the most out of all three. The story is long and convoluted yet every single thing happens for a reason. Each little detail is brought back and explained in a way that makes Neal Shusterman seem like a human on another level of existence. The mind he has to weave all of these details together is amazing. The ending filled my heart. I had grown to love each character so much I wanted the best for each of them. I am so glad he gave his creations the ending they deserved. Such a masterful balance of world-building, character arcs, and romance. Never was there a moment where I felt bored even when details were introduced that we wouldn't be able to comprehend for another 20 chapters or more.

I was particularly moved by the cutting off of the Thunderhead. It was such a beautiful and melancholy moment. I never thought I could have grown so fond of an AI. Also, I am so glad to see Scythe Rand, who I despised, come into her own in a way that did not compromise her character. She is cold and calculating yet her act to fix the mistake that was her killing Tyger and bringing Goddard to life made me love her.

Ranking of the books: The Toll, Scythe, Thunderhead

Song: 

• Glory and Gore - Lorde 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Mass/school shootings, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Physical abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Confinement, and Torture

Minor: War and Sexual content

honeybadger11492's review against another edition

adventurous dark slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder