Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

5 reviews

vaniavela's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark 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

This bloody, twisted and dark trilogy has come to an end. Once again, I must highlight the incredible complexity of the characters.

Alina is the epitome of the anti-hero. She is ruthless and destroys everything she steps on. We have seen her suffer, longing for her success and happiness and yet deep down we know she is completely lost.

Teren has shown more layers to her character. In a world that pushes you to believe in an idea, guilt can make you think unimaginable things. The only difference is who does actually act on those thoughts.

Magiano, what have they done to you? I craved his presence, I needed more of his story and his ambitions. Every time he appeared on the page, I found myself smiling for this clever, devious thief. Even after all, his happiness is all I wanted and after this ending I feel he will never get what he wanted. 

Raffaele, dear, you deserved so much more happiness than that. I wanted you to find love with Enzo, the chemistry between the two of you was exceptional. I could breathe in all the love, care and attention you had for each other, even though you were not a (canon) couple. 

Enzo, I needed more from you. I wished you wouldn't leave my side, but as always, I'm just lying to myself. Maybe in another life, you will get what you deserve, but for now, we all must accept what was done.

Violetta, my sweet angel, tell the story. Your soul, so pure but corrupted by suffering, deserved so much more than what you received. I will never forget your beautiful heart and your wholesome love for your sister. 

To the rest of you, I rest today with the heartbreaking news that I will never hear from you again. Lucent, I hope you finally had the romance you had longed for. Sergio, your initiative was there, I sensed it through the pages. It wasn't you, it was time that didn't let you have the girl you wanted so much. 

Marie Lu, you destroy me more and more. You kill your readers every time you write. I can't get this bittersweet taste out of my mouth, what have you done my wonderful author?

So many deaths in this trilogy I can't stop thinking, were they really necessary?  

This trilogy has been a wild ride. When I read the last chapter and closed this book, I understood the meaning of the title. My heart was broken and recovered so many times during this book that it is beyond repair. 

The Young Elites, this is not the last time we will see each other.  

TW: ableism, blood, body horror, child abuse, confinement, death, death of a parent, gore, torture, violence, bigotry, imprisonment, physical abuse, eye removal due to illness, mass death,slavery, rape, hallucinations, knife violence, stabbing, shipwreck, war. 

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anniereads221's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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beccaand's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

4.5

Reading this reminded me of reading the Legend trilogy (and Champion), like, 7 years ago.
Especially since the ending fucked me up (so, so good).
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maggie_green's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-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

4.5

This was an excellent end to the series! All of the loose ends are wrapped up and the myths and folk tales included in the books all weave together to create a satisfying ending. The book is almost too short, but I still think everything ends up the way it should have. I also loved how this book takes the previous religious world building and incorporates it into the plot even more. It makes the high fantasy world building element of the book a central focus rather than a passing aspect. 
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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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dark tense 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

I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of this book/series!! I thought it was well-done. I also really enjoyed the incorporation of more myths/folklore/gods etc into the story, it was really great to see it and was done super well!! I think it was a bit slow during the middle, while other parts felt rushed, however, still really liked this!
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