Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - All Our Hidden Gifts

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

All Our Hidden Gifts by Caroline O'Donoghue

25 reviews

theyellowbrickreader's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.0

Content Warnings

questingnotcoasting's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this. I don't always get on with YA these days but something about this made me think I'd like it and luckily my instincts were right. There were so many elements that worked for me - interesting characters, coming of age themes and witchy vibes. I thought the magic was woven into the real world in a really clever way and I'm interested in seeing what happens next. I don't think I'll get to the sequel soon but I will definitely read it.

Content Warnings

kingfreckle02's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Content Warnings

maddisaysmeow's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

Content Warnings

mcdal's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I cannot remember the last time I was so immediately gripped by a book that I could not put it down. Reading this opened the floodgates of nostalgia, to when I would pace around my room analyzing the mysteries of House of Anubis or when I would laugh at the corny but heartfelt banter of My Babysitter’s a Vampire or even when I’d watch pirated episodes of Trollz on YouTube.

This book was perfectly whimsical, had impeccable humor, and the characters were just so immediately likeable and dynamic. More than anything, what kept me going, what made it impossible for me to put this book down was the characters. I loved every single one of them. I even loved the sappy teen romance which in any other story I would have had little patience for (it does help that there are some critical differences when it comes to the identities of the characters involved though). (Oh, and Maeve has ADHD. Yeah, yeah she’s magic or whatever but also Maeve has ADHD and you cannot convince me otherwise)

I knew this book would be good but I was not expecting to fall in love with it. All Our Hidden Gifts is the fun, melodrama-laden queer urban fantasy romp I have been wanting for ages, and god am I so glad I decided to pick this book up. Even if it did throw a wrench in my to do list for the day lol.

I knew I was probably gonna give this book a high rating but what made it a five stars for me is unfortunately spoilers; what I can say is the ending was so refreshing as someone who has found herself frustrated in the past with similar YA books.

So yeah, this was amazing, the day has disappeared before my very eyes, I have no regrets, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

I gained five years back to my lifespan when the author ended the story saying that forgiveness is never something a person is owed, like I can’t stress enough how having Lily still be mad at Maeve made this book a 5/5 in my eyes. Because yes, no one is obligated to forgive someone who has hurt them, and this is sadly a message too few YA books ever consider. I am so grateful the author in this case understood how trauma and interpersonal relationships actually work.

Content Warnings

danicampbell0506's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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

4.0

Content Warnings

queersubtext's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

5.0

Content Warnings

alexafuson's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious slow-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

If you’re looking for a book with a morally grey protagonist that talks about serious issues in the real world, this is it. Most fantasy novels that attempt to include contemporary issues fall very flat in my eyes, but this book successfully gave a story about queer liberation, feminism, and xenophobia while still clearly explaining all of the complex magical components. I was worried I wouldn’t understand anything about the spirituality presented in this book, but everything was explained in a way that made perfect sense (which rarely happens in fantasy books). Maeve was a fantastic character to read about as she explored her own identity and her own flaws. I loved this book, and I’m so glad it was a Monthly Pick at Barnes & Noble, so hopefully, more people will read it.

Content Warnings

e_flah's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional 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

All Our Hidden Gifts had one of the most relatable and three-dimensional main characters I've seen in YA. Maeve makes mistakes throughout the course of the book, some of which have serious repercussions, and is always trying to balance who she wants to be with how she acts. Watching her grow as an individual and learn how to have better relationships with others was one of my favorite parts of All Our Hidden Gifts.

The supernatural elements of All Our Hidden Gifts were really well done.

I loved how the magic system slowly unfolded over the course of the story as Maeve learned more about her own abilities. O'Donoghue did an excellent job letting the reader learn more about how magic works while leaving intriguing questions open for exploration in book 2.

The inclusion of illustrations of tarot cards between chapters was a neat touch. I enjoyed seeing the artist's interpretation of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck along with the infamous Housekeeper card.

This was a gripping, fast-paced read with vibrant characters. I'm looking forward to seeing Maeve and her friends again in book 2.

Thank you to Candlewick Press and Edelweiss for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

valley's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I overall liked the story and all the details and explanations about magic, but what this book lacks in my opinion is subtlety. Whenever an important and controversial topic is brought up, which we have a lot of,

from Jo's activism, to Roes problems coming out and the racism Fiona has experienced,

we always get it written out, how bad that is. Of course explaining lgbtq themes for example is important, but the way it was written really just made me feel icky and it felt unnatural, like in a school lesson.

The end was honestly kind of annoying to me, totally subjective, i know, but them all getting powers just feels like creating Gary Stus and Mary Sues and quirky events.

Content Warnings

More...