Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

7 reviews

abicaro17's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This may be the best book i've ever read. I laughed, I cried, I felt seen. This book is what it's like to be a woman. Anything you do is demonized but when a man does it he's praised. Alix E. Harrow writes about how "behind every witch is a woman wrong." (445) and creates beautifully complex characters like Agnes that show a true beauty and a true darkness in femininity. Juniper is a feral, selfish, and damaged girl but

her final act is to do something so selfless it saves all future witches. She bears the burden so that the future of her niece and all other mothers and daughters won't have to.

I could spend hours describing my love and adoration for this book. The emotional and storied complexity for even minor characters like Jennie and Mr. Blackwell are so outstanding and enriching. I think Harrow needs all the awards and I'm devastated i'll never be able to read this book for the first time again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Transphobia, Racism, Police brutality, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Gore, Gaslighting, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Torture, Suicide, Misogyny, and Homophobia

felofhe's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Torture, Violence, Child abuse, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Slavery, Ableism, Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Sexism, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Racism, and Abandonment

kylaeduff's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Abortion, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Torture, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Sexism

Minor: Transphobia and Vomit

cassiopeia_lucky_fowkes's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing 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

5.0

This book is AMAZING I have read it twice now, I love it so much! 

You end up falling in love with the characters like they are you own Sisters (note the capital S) 
Only read if you are okay with crying for ten minutes at various parts of the book (this happened to me both times I read it!)

It has an amazing plot with lots of plot twists that grip and pull you into the story and dont let you go until its done

I wish this book had a sequal!

Also the writing style is amazing, there is the perfect amount of description to allow you to imagine sort of the more fine details in how a character looks for example but also gives you a good base 
the settings are also described in this way

I cant tell you how much I love this book tbh it changed the way I look at everything and changed my life too!

I highly recommend to any feminist out there.

Let the fire inside your heart continue to burn and let this book help it to burn brighter with fury, love, hate and hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Cursing, Alcohol, Death, Toxic friendship, Blood, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Police brutality, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia

I put all the content warnings in graphic because i dont have time to sort them! Also some are so minor they are only one sentence or word

booksbutmakeitgay's review

medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Kidnapping, Sexism, Violence, Bullying, Fatphobia, and Transphobia

nebulasaurus's review

dark hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Torture, Cursing, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

addieslibrary's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

Simply put, this book is about the power in women when they stand together. More specifically, this book follows three sisters, Juniper, Agnes, and Bella, as they rediscover the meaning of magic and fight for women's rights. Set in New Salem, a city that is terrified of witches and led by a man with destructive intentions, these sisters find other women who are not afraid to stand up not only for themselves, but also for the strangers around them. 

The reader gets to see life from the POV of each of the sisters. The emotions they experience and the thoughts they have are so raw and so real. Juniper hates her sisters for abandoning her as a child, but loves them still. Agnes wants to protect her daughter, but also wants to protect her sisters. Bella was sent away and abused as a young adult for being a lesbian, but finds love in Cleo, a woman from the other side of New Salem. There is a thread that ties the three sisters together, but throughout the book it felt as though a thread was being tied to me as well. I became connected to these characters and the beautiful way in which they were real. 

This book is engaging, the writing is beautiful, but comfortable, the characters are passionately real. The Once and Future Witches will forever hold a special place in my heart because not only is it a fantastic story, but it is also a lesson. A lesson in sisterhood and the power that every person has within themselves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Homophobia, Murder, and Sexism