Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Gothikana by RuNyx

8 reviews

meliroo's review against another edition

dark

• Loveable characters? No

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, and Mental illness

marinajonesreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I got through it. Solid 2. The writing was at time pedantic and the plot lacked a lot of substance. I think we I saw “gothic romance” I was thinking along the lines of Adalyn Grace’s “Foxglove” — a slow burn, out of time, dark romance. This was dark. I will give it that. I would strongly advise one check the content warnings before reading. But the ending just lacked so much. It kind of was just there. I felt like we’d been building to something supernatural or even just unexpected. But we instead get a Scooby Do-esq storyline. And I was still left with so many questions. And not in a fun way. This felt, at times, like one big spicy book with words around it in the vague wispy form of a plot. Ironic, I know. Would I recommend? Probably not.

But I will say, the cover, binding and sprayed purple edges are beautiful. The purple and black is such a solid choice. Love the Verenmore gold foil. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide, Grief, Terminal illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Incest, Blood, and Bullying

labxtch's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

This book had me SPIRALING. I honestly did not know where this was going to go or how this was going to end, and didn’t until I got to the very end.

The way Corvina feels throughout the book is so incredibly relatable, and the style in which the author transcribes perfectly just how Corvina feels.. The words are utterly breathtaking at times. I have so many quotes saved that just hit close to home and were so dark & beautifully said.

‘Gothikana’ reminded me why “books-that-make-you-think” are my absolute freaking favorite. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Gore, Mental illness, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Murder, Cursing, Death, Dementia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

emu_308's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, and Body horror

direguard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Blood, Sexual content, Suicide, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Cursing, Rape, Alcohol, Medical content, Vomit, Abandonment, Incest, and Sexual assault

hobbit_at_heart's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

3.5

 

I really enjoyed this story! However, I will say I do not see any correlation between this story and comparing it to "dracula and beauty and the beast" aside from a girl falling for a "devil" in a castle.

The whole time I thought Vad Deverel was going to end up being a vampire or something and that never happened. So that was a touch disappointing. The smut could have been a touch better, but I won't complain.

I suck at reviews, but all-in-all, a good story. Definitely New Adult vibes. At first I was under the impression that this was set in an older timeline, however it was fairly modern with random things like the use of phones and internet was stuck in. Some of the writing was kind of cringy and I sped read through a LOT of fluffy bits that simply weren't all that necessary to have even been put into writing. Overall, good book. If Goodreads would do a 1/2 star system, this would be a solid 3.5 for me but I rounded up for the sake of having enjoyed the plot twist at the end bc I never would have seen it coming. Wild ride at the end!

HEA was corny as SHIT.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Drug use, Gore, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Suicide, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Grief, Death, Death of parent, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Vomit, Medical content, and Stalking

Minor: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Incest

jshawreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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? Yes

2.5

I really do not know where to start with this book. This has potentially been the most conflicted I have ever felt after reading a book. Elements were fantastic, the gothic setting, the unsettling quasi-magical phenomena, the bloody mystery of a cult. Sadly, elements were absolutely terrible, one of the worst cases of insta-love I have ever seen, paired with gratuitous, and sometimes quite repetitive sex scenes, and possibly the worst ending to a book in a good while.

Now, I dont mind a bit of spice in my fiction... But when the spice is just purely "This is my p***y now", "slam, slam, slam" and the main characters thighs being "soaked", along with the worst phrase I have ever read (and it came up twice) "Her nipples pebbled" it just comes off as tacky. Gratuitous sex and poorly written, supposedly romantic, moments really detracted from the actual plot. If the sub-plot of romance was gone, this book would have been infinitely better. 

This is a real shame, this book could have been excellent

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Murder, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

emilycruz1016's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, Dementia, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Death of parent, Murder, and Violence