Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Le Livre des sorcières by C.J. Cooke, Caroline Nicolas

23 reviews

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The book focuses much on motherhood, and the lengths a mother would go to, and endure for her child(ren). Of the two moms in the book, I do not get a good sense of who one of them was outside of her role as a mom, which makes it harder for me to enjoy personally.
I also feel like the epilogue cheapens the ending, the book claiming a new carrier the way it does seems like it belongs in an entirely different story

But overall, was a very fun and tense read, perfect for the Halloween season.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

OMG THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOD!!

I am a massive fan of dark emotional books, I think Cooke does an amazing job to portray the stories of both mothers and their contrasts and similarities, I think it’s also an interesting value seeing no correlation between the two sides during the start, I believe the way Cooke was able to write and present that emotional turmoil and the darker elements of the plot were very very captivating, I especially felt for Erin as we see her in the end try and find peace with the fact she’s living without her boyfriend (and her childs father) and is adjusting to her new life after injuries, although I don’t think the motive for Cooke writing such a thought-provoking piece was due to the emotionally triggering parts, she did a stunning job to make the audience reflect on (atleast me personally) their gratefulness for the ones around them and their privileges to not have to sustain such a painful grief.

I’m not going to say this book was the most perfect piece of work I’ve read, as there was a lot of confusion for me as I’ve finished it, for example, the lack of context for the origin of the book of witching, we are given no true understanding of where it came from, I felt as if this could’ve been elaborated more, also I believe Edward and Beatrice were especially mature for what was supposed to be 13 and 7/6 year old children? Perhaps this is my misjudgement of the era and just due to the role of kids in that time, but i still feel as if you told me Beatrice was older than Edward, it would be something I’d believe.

Furthermore, I feel as if the co-ordination of the plot was a bit scrambled, at times, I felt lost in the understanding of what was happening, the flow of writing is very easy to understand, that I enjoyed, I must say though that there was a lot I feel like could’ve been added too more, like possibly Alison’s time as a Triskele member? More information about her mother? And I feel as if with the whole “book of witching” it was a bit bland, serving almost a minor detail to the story?


Overall, I throughly enjoyed reading the entirety of this book, and it has definitely been a fun 3 days!

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

The Book of Witching" is an extraordinary novel that captures the bond between single mother Clementine and her daughter Erin, highlighting their emotional struggles with an absent father. Cooke’s character development is impressive; characters evolve in ways that foster empathy, and humor is skillfully woven into their interactions.
The shifting points of view may feel disorienting at first, but they ultimately enhance the narrative. Cooke vividly depicts Father Colville's intense hatred for Alison and immerses readers in the story. Through thorough research, the author illustrates cult manipulations, making it easy to understand the harrowing experiences of those involved in the Witch Trials. This is my first historical fiction novel, and I look forward to exploring more of Cooke's works.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

It took me a little longer than I expected to have an idea of where this book was going, and I was pleasantly surprised by a few elements. Interesting read. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious 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: Complicated

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark mysterious tense fast-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: No

Expand filter menu Content Warnings