Reviews tagging 'Death'

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

51 reviews

kaitlynnnng's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

Something I enjoyed about this book was that, when I started a chapter, I never knew how I would feel by the end of it. There was a mix of regular small-town living, the supernatural and fantastical, and mystery. I don’t think there was too much of one thing.

Some of the twists were easy to see coming once other twists were introduced.

For example, I knew “Uncle Ezra” and Whitaker were both suspicious, but once we learned who “Uncle Ezra” really was, it was easy to see that Whitaker was the Dark Watcher.

I appreciate the themes of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Murder, and Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

immovabletype's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, and Xenophobia

Minor: Misogyny

antimony's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

this was very good & was nicely atmospheric. i really enjoyed it for the most part though the last couple chapters were a little confusing :/ i picked it up wanting to read a fun ya book and it was very fun! and it was VERY ya. while they did have chemistry and fit well into the story i worried at first that ellerie and whitaker's relationship would just be there bc it's ya. also i wsih that we could have found out

whether ellerie's parents survived or not

:(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Animal death

Minor: Pregnancy and Infidelity

mikaelaandherbooks's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

cecetomas's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Really enjoyed this read. I'm a fan of the slow burn thriller that builds to a breaking poin, so this was right up my alley. The social and religious commentary was really exciting to explore, especially near the end of the book. It did feel like the ending was a little bit rushed and the very very end felt a little uncharacteristic for the mood of the book up until that point but I would still recommend.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Torture

jwhitlow91's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Pregnancy, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, and Alcoholism

Minor: Vomit, Miscarriage, and Suicide

tiak143's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This was a big scarier/more suspenseful than I thought it would be! I had nightmares about the dark walkers 🤣 but maybe that’s just me.
I really enjoyed this! The characters were realistic, and believable, and I was questioning everyone’s motives the entire time. It’s very well done!
I do wish there was a little bit more closure. I want to know they made it out, and if their parents are actually alive. And I wish they could’ve gone back for the bees 🥺
Very good book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Murder

tetedump's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Gun violence, and Murder

whenjessreads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Bees. Monsters. Madness. More bees. Yes please.

I love the way Erin A. Craig writes creepy atmospheres. In this book, like in A House of Salt and Sorrows, there’s this soft, almost lazy overtone with just an undercurrent of… wrongness. I would describe the book as a gentle horror, if such a thing exists. There’s a quiet solemnity, calmness, and feeling of isolation throughout - but also some MESSED UP mutant animals that come out of the forest, and several gruesome violent deaths 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

It showcases the idea that the monsters hiding in the dark may not be as destructive as the monsters within ourselves. There’s an aspect of the macabre in the mutated creatures that feature as the initial ‘villains’, but the real horror of this story is found in humanity itself, and in what happens when the dark parts of ourselves are magnified and unrestrained.

The book is told in seasons, with the plot building pretty slowly. I didn’t have a problem with the slow progression because the tension remained… tense… throughout, however it did make the final 100 pages or so seem quite rushed, and a little messy. To be honest though, everyone knows I love a good ‘descent into madness’ storyline, and sometimes that kind of chaos can’t be presented calmly and orderly. ACCEPT THE MESS!

The setting was fantastic, the characters were well rounded, and while the twist was pretty obvious, experiencing it from the perspective of the MC still felt new and devastating, so kudos to Craig and her beautiful writing.

I do prefer A House of Salt and Sorrows to Small Favors, but I still enjoyed this read a lot!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry

frantically's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

Idk what Craig is smoking but I hope she gets the help she obviously needs.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Death

Moderate: Pregnancy