Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

96 reviews

quasinaut's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.75

I bounced off this book a few years ago, but I'm so glad I came back to it. The first quarter of the book, though beautifully written and necessary to ground the story, is definitely slower! Once the journey truly starts, I was caught up in this fascinating and devastating story. I love the value placed on storytelling and fairy tales, the exploration of grief and vengeance, the combination of practical and mystical.

I can't wait to read Muse of Nightmares -- while also scared at how much it will destroy me!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Slavery, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death

Minor: Sexual content, Rape, and Pregnancy

cookiecat73's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Genocide, Murder, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

Minor: Pregnancy and Misogyny

maddiebusick's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Trafficking, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Slavery

brynn_webber's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Rape

tinysierra's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

“I think you’re a fairy tale. I think you’re magical, and brave, and exquisite. And I hope you'll let me be in your story.”

Poetic, well strung together, and tragic.
Another reviewer mentioned that the lyrical writing almost made it hard to actually fall into the story.  I agree, which is why I don’t think this is a 5* read for me despite how beautiful it was. I was super interested in the characters, the plot, and the world, but there weren’t any of those moments where I forgot I was reading. I feel like that’s what I expected to happen, and maybe that might happen if I reread it now that I know all the events of the book, but I’m not sure. I think the prose is too purple lol

“Dream up something wild and improbable. Something beautiful and full of monsters.”
“Beautiful and full of monsters?”
“All the best stories are.”

—

“It’s a woeful species that’s all male.” :P

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Child death, and Murder

bethy_joy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abandonment, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, and Slavery

thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

this book doesnt totally click w/ me. idk if it's the plot--or lack thereof--or what, but there's something missing. so it's rly a testament to laini's vivid, seemingly boundless imagination; impeccable and wholly original worldbuilding; her ability to make the simple seem magical and extraordinary; thought-provoking and emotional exploration of hatred, love, survival, living, horrors and trauma of war; her writing that is pure poetry; and--though it's too sweet and toe-curling for my taste--the tenderness and longing and hope infused between sarai and lazlo, that strange the dreamer nevertheless gets 4 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Confinement, Murder, Violence, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Child death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

happilyeverengwis's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Genocide, Rape, Child death, Gore, and Murder

noki's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-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? No

4.5

I personally really enjoy this book, I found the plot and the history of this world very interesting but there is alot of information that makes this book so long. It could be much short if it didn't have this but is not exactly bad thing, just makes you maybe have to take a break from reading the book to take in the information. 
So if you want something easy to read this is not the book for you.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Kidnapping, Rape, and Child death

sarah_cameron's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.75

A slow start but the characters were  interesting and well fleshed out. The last quarter was executed really well and brought my attention back to the book, excited to give the sequel a go! 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence