Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Small Favors by Erin A. Craig

47 reviews

courtneyfalling's review

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

4.0

love Erin Craig's writing style so much, this mysterious and dreamy, dark and fairytale-inspired historical fiction with struggling eldest daughters growing into adulthood. The only reason I didn't give this higher than 4 stars is that the ending felt pretty sudden—like I wanted more with the final confrontation
between Ellerie and the Dark Watchers' queen
, with Ellerie and Whitaker, with Ellerie's parents and family. But I will 100% auto-read anything Erin Craig publishes now after both Small Favors and House of Salt and Sorrows

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vexedst's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

5.0


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kelanor's review

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dark hopeful mysterious slow-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

5.0

Slow, creeping dread. Nail-biting tension, yet still maintains a dreamy, fairytale feeling. I loved this book.

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enchantedtoreadyou's review against another edition

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

5.0

Best book of 2021, hands down.
This story was so twisty and turvy. I didn't know who to trust, who was good or bad. Sometimes I even had doubts about Ellerie, our main character.
I absolutely adored Ellerie. She was thrust into a position of responsibility over her family when her mom and dad had to leave. She states she wasn't ready for it, but she tackled it and did the best she could. She was a strong, resilient character.
Whitaker, the male MC. Man, what can I say. I went back and forth with him! I loved him and hated him and hated to love him. All the while I was rooting for he and Ellerie, even though I wasn't sure if there could be a good outcome.
Most of the supporting characters were great and had their own voice. They were easy to stand out from each other. I did get confused with the elders and the preacher of the town. The four of them were just too similar to me.
This is a story about resiliency, hope, and putting your hive's needs above your own. If you want a story that keeps you guessing until the very last page, please pick this one up. 

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greeneggsandsam's review

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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elderflower's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? No

3.25

I was expecting a sweet, historical romance, but got a horror novel instead. Horror novels are not my thing and this one was definitely creepy. It wasn’t necessarily a bad horror novel, but the advertising did not communicate the fact that it was a horror novel. It was a bit predictable and cliché though. 
Songs:
  • Chelsea by Phoebe Bridgers- this one doesn’t fit very well, but I got the same vibes from this song and this book
  • august by Taylor Swift- for Rebecca and Sam 
  • Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson- for Ellerie

Similar reads:
  • The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson- if you want a younger, cleaner, and more christian version of this book then The Monster in the Hollows is the book for you! 
  • Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. R**ling (god I hate to write her name)- I was reminded of Ginny’s storyline while reading this book 

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j_emerson18's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

I love everything about this book. This author has outdone herself once again and I sit in awe at the world I've just left. The story is fantastic, the characters compelling, and the plot twists jaw dropping. I will fully rank this in my top 10 books ever read. 

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livlamentloathe's review against another edition

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

3.0


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sennaje's review

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

4.75


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whatellisreadnext's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦. 

Life for Ellerie in isolated Amity Falls, is pretty uneventful. It's surrounded by an impenetrable forest, and life has a predictable sameness to it. Until a bunch of townsfolk go missing on a trip to fetch supplies, sending waves of unease, and betrayal through the whole town. 

I really bloody enjoyed this book, and bloody is the perfect way to describe it. For a YA horror I was pleasantly surprised at how gross this was, I'm talking skin hanging off, skulls being crushed,  freaky hybrid animal creatures and a whole load of blood 🤣 

Ellerie Downing was just the kind of character I love to root for; she was so caring, and strong. She goes through hell and back, but still has the kindest heart. I even enjoyed her romantic arc, which isn't something I say often when it comes to YA. It felt believable, plus I also have a soft spot for weird men that live in the woods 💁🏻‍♀️ 

If you like your horror gory and supernatural with great characters, you need to add this to your spooky season TBR. Don't let the page count of just under 500 pages put you off, there isn't a dull moment in this book. The way Craig builds on the sense of unease and isolation throughout Small Favors was just so fun to read. 

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