Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson

106 reviews

storytime2390's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Blood, Death, Sexual content, and Gore

Minor: Classism, Confinement, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Mental illness

dodiejoyle's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Body horror, Pandemic/Epidemic, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Confinement, Racism, Violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, War, Kidnapping, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death

hanz's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Violence, Gaslighting, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Self harm, and War

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

tlos95's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Gore, and Violence

First off - please research the content warnings for this book, and assess if it's right for you. The story of Dracula's first wife Constanta, told from her perspective. I ripped through this in less than a day, it was very enjoyable and very easy to read. Constanta was an engaging narrator, and it was fascinating but also heartbreaking to follow her experiences of being brainwashed by Dracula and subsequently finding motivation to get out from under his power and fight back. My main issue with the book is in the representation of Dracula's other partners. I felt that not quite enough time was spent building them as characters, and strengthening the bonds between them such that the climax of the story makes sense, . However this is still a relatively minor gripe, and I'd still very much recommend this book :)

crispynugget's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

I picked this book up on a whim before a flight and was pleasantly surprised but how captivated I was by the story. It is short and flows very well. Without giving away too much, the story is about how DV and DA change the people involved over their lives. What keeps it interesting is that the characters are all vampires in a poly relationship. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, War, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Blood, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Mental illness, Infidelity, Murder, and Grief

caitlinemccann's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Dowry of Blood was a solid read for me, but I don't think my experience with it lived up to the hype from its release. Lyrically written, with an apt handling of sensitive topics from the perspective of a survivor of trauma and literal centuries of domestic abuse. Yet, I still struggled to feel invested in the overall story. Some of that issue came from not feeling like I understood the main character Constanta on her own; I only ever grasped her in relation to other characters and the emotions they brought about in her. And maybe that's the point? That Constanta's finally able to make meaning in her life in the wake of

murdering her tyrannical, abusive maker

. If so, I sadly don't think that resonated with me in a way that makes this novel shine. If you're a fan of classics and/or retellings of classics, this is still a worthwhile read though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Abandonment, and War

izzy_bella_02's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Grief, and Mental illness

lady_of_the_labyrinth's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Rape

chelsea_nailpolishlover's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I could not put this down. It’s a short read, and every chapter was filled with meaning and thoughtfulness for the readers understanding and enjoyment. 

This is book was about love. But not the kind you assume. This is about the kind of torturous toxic love that you delude yourself into thinking their love is worth the pain, worth the bad, that’s it’s because they love you that they treat you that way. 

This was about finding one’s self, breaking free, living to live and not for the whims of someone else’s existence. It was painful, heartbreaking, exhausting to witness. And I loved every word. 

It was beautifully written. It held my attention at every turn. The ending was perfect. I honestly have not one single criticism for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual content, Blood, Mental illness, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Death, Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

kelsokake's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

“But I've grown to understand that you have in you more of the scientist obsessed than the lover possessed, and that your examinations lend themselves more towards a scrutiny of weakness, imperfection, any detail in need of your corrective care.”

• p17 

“War is the whetstone that grinds down all sense, all humanity.”

• p19

“I knew then I would chase your tiny moments of weakness all the way into hell and back. What is more lovely, after all, than a monster undone with wanting?”

• p32

“You are half my heart, Constanta,”

• p122

“Lying with her made me feel so vibrantly alive. It was almost enough to make me forget that I was already dead.”

• p124

“We all developed our tricks for dealing with you: my invisibility, her sweetness.” 

• p127

“You never once thought I would have the strength to disobey you, did you? The possibility that my will was stronger than yours never even crossed your mind.”

• p131

“‘It would be easier if he hated us,’ she said. ‘But he loves us all terribly. And if we go on letting him love us, that love is going to kill us. That's what makes him so dangerous.’”

• p235

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: War, Sexual content, Confinement, and Mental illness