Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

4 reviews

anracli's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.75

Very low stakes and somewhat repetitive. The events of the book take place over a short period of time and the FMC's magic parallels with mental illness so it's understandable to a degree.

The FMC is immature, the MMC is paperthin, the FMC hardly views the MMC as a whole person (expecting him to still be the same as he was as a child), and the most interesting part of the story,

the FMC's confrontation with her mother

, is not resolved in this book. Neither, really, is how the general population reacts to FMC; by the end of the book her bad reputation for having unruly magic just seems to disappear. A plot hook regarding the council is also introduced but not explored.

Did enjoy the casual existence of queer characters without comment save one scene where an apprentice says they appreciate their teacher having a shared identity.

Good for young readers who might be looking for a relatively easy introduction to media dealing with parental trauma and mental illness. Also good for those looking for a low stakes read with a happy ending, who are okay with several plot lines being left unresolved.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Mental illness, Body horror, and Bullying

asahome's review against another edition

3.75

TL;DR: A young woman must put aside her personal feelings in order to learn to control her magic. A new teacher helps her learn that Elsa (from Frozen) has a better way of dealing with her emotions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Medical content, Ableism, Mental illness, and Addiction

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death of parent, and Vomit

Minor: Sexual content

Ableism:

the people in charge of the healers sect are unwilling to help people suffering from depression and anxiety and are unwilling to recognize it as a problem

Medical Content:

the main characters are healers, they deal with all things medical

Death of Parent, Vomit:

the parent vomits flower petals and there is a worry it will kill him

Warnings from the Inside Cover: absent parent, anxiety and depression, body horror, emesis, fantasy substance abuse, medical issues, non-consensual enchantment

sophiesmallhands's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Vomit, Body horror, and Mental illness

Minor: Drug use, Abandonment, Medical content, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, and Bullying

foxwish's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

A captivating story with compelling characters that are all flawed in their own way, the magic genuinely talks to its wielder and I particularly enjoyed Clara's personal journey of becoming more confident in herself. The queernormative world was refreshing and the ending to the book felt truly earned. I'm a little sad this is a standalone because I would love to see more of this world and these characters, I never would have thought that a book about depression could be such pure joy to read.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse