Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

36 reviews

bag_end_library's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Death, and Child abuse

karapillar's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Medical content, Body horror, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Death, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

roseleebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book has such an enjoyably dark atmosphere and unique magic system. I read the last 75% in one day because I could not put it down! The ending was an excellent setup for the next book.

The reasons I didn't give 5 stars:

Hauth just did not cut it for me as a villain, very one dimensional and predictable. Also, the reveal of the Nightmare's identity was a bit obvious and it seemed like it would have been figured out much earlier by Elspeth.

These were fairly minor but annoyed me quite a bit since the rest of the book was so well done.

I immediately picked up the next book, glad I started this after the sequel was released!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Alcohol, Violence, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse

aj_langley's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, and Murder

naomi_k's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Torture, Terminal illness, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

katievallin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Sexism

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Rating: 5/5 stars

Elspeth Spindle lives with a monster inside of her head…but when she’s pulled into a mysterious and possibly treasonous plot, the monster might be exactly what she needs.

I LOVED THIS. The magic system is a bit complicated so it was a slightly slow beginning as I got my sea legs in the world, and then I absolutely fell in love—the plot, the characters, the world, all of it. I am so so excited to read Two Twisted Crowns (and alas I have finished it before I even post this review, oh well).

The ending of this book gave me actual chills, and I screamed and gasped and squealed so many times at so many different parts. I truly cannot recommend it highly enough.

HUGE thanks also to my buddy read crew and to my friend Alx for gifting me this one and for being the champion this book deserves.

Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Gothic fantasy; Tarot cards; found family vibes

CW: Blood/injury/violence; child death and abuse and mentions of death of parent

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

twistykris's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

MY HEARTTTTTTTTTTTTT I LOVED THIS SO MUUUUUUUUUUUCH!! Will be in my Top 10 of the year, for sure.

The characters and world were just SO lush and immersive and the writing is so beautiful. The world was almost a character of its own, especially with the encroaching mist and the eerie forest and what lies within. I got chills down my back multiple times during this read.

I love Elspeth as a character SO much- she can be a liiiittle naive and hypocritical at times, but honestly, I love the way she spoke to the Nightmare and Ravyn, with her wit and sass. She's smart, but as she develops, starts to become aware of her own faults and judgements, which I can appreciate. And Ravyn is so elusive and secretly caring and UGH. And THE NIGHTMARE?! What an incredible character LIVING inside of Elspeth's head. It's a lil bit enemies to lovers (which I love) and I found the romance to be just so lovely, if a little rushed (in a YA sort of fashion), but it still got me kicking my feet. There's also some found family, which I absolutely adore.

I think the audiobook, narrated by Lisa Cordlieone, was fantastic. I think she nailed the characters voices and cadences, especially the Nightmare's.

Very much looking forward to Two Twisted Crowns!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, and Child death

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

My first spooky adjacent read of October, One Dark Window, was a gorgeously lush and atmospheric read that gave me gothic fantasy, Guillermo Del Toro meets Tim Burton vibes — which unsurprisingly, I absolutely loved! 

I was really intrigued by the premise (a girl with a monster trapped in her head, on a quest to save her town, Blunder, from the dark magic that’s slowly begun to infect it) and enjoyed the unique, card-based magic system (and richly detailed lore) of this beautifully eerie, Sleepy Hollow-esque setting. 

The characters too, were pretty intriguing, especially Protagonist Elspeth, whose bond with the nightmarish creature inspires more confidence in her that I really enjoyed seeing. But of course, his help isn’t free and despite how much I loved their bickering, father-daughter-like dynamics, the tenuous balance of power that keeps the nightmare in check made for a nail bitingly intense experience as it slowly begins to fray. 

I did appreciate getting to delve into Elspeth’s emotional vulnerabilities though, which helped me to understand her thought processes and the hardships that led to her cautious (and dare I say skittish) nature.

I also loved the deliciously brooding, Byronic love interest (and occasional highwayman), Ravyn who connects with Elspeth in a way that no one else ever has. There’s definitely a touch of Alfred Noyes’ Highwayman about him and Gillig’s lush prose only adds to his allure, before slowly revealing the kind and protective nature he reserves only for his closest friends and family. The romance that develops between him and Elspeth is really endearing if a slow but I’m definitely rooting for these two. 

However, our rhyme obsessed, morally grey nightmare might possibly be my favourite character of them all. His dark sense of humour and brutal assessment of everyone around them was quite entertaining and after THAT cliffhanger ending I NEED to get my hands on the sequel. 

Overall, a spellbindingly wicked, dark fairytale of a read that fans Hannah Whitten or slower paced, gothic style narratives need to check out! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, and Death

kassidyreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Death