Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

150 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

kingkorok's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring tense fast-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? No

3.75

Really enjoyed the way this book linked women's rights and the patriarchy to witches, magic, and fairy tales. Fun exploration of the women's suffrage movement through a fantasy lens. I appreciated that the author acknowledged the discrimination within the suffrage movement and made attempts to acknowledge diversity within womanhood. I do think it was a bit white-feminism-y, though. Overall solid read though, and fits within the genre of womens-magic books like Circe by Madeline Miller.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Animal death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death of parent, Violence, Pregnancy, and Racism

Minor: Kidnapping, Body horror, Abortion, and Confinement

llamallama527's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

Wow. What a tale. Marvelous! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Racism, Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Police brutality, Blood, Abortion, Death, Cursing, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry

historianvik's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

I adored this book and all the themes and messages. I listened to the audiobook and it was great. I want to know more about native witches and more about witching in other cultures. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy and Torture

Moderate: Death

Labor

beccaand's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Confinement, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Death, Sexism, and Torture

Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, and Homophobia

Minor: Transphobia and Abortion

moderndaymama's review

adventurous challenging inspiring fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Abortion, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual harassment, and Torture

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

mohera_darling's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Pregnancy

queclecumber's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Animal death, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, and Child abuse

Minor: Confinement, Medical trauma, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, Blood, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

woodsofthebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

i’d give this book 17 billion stars if i could. i don’t think this book will ever truly leave my thoughts, and it will certainly never leave my heart. every twist and turn, every lost girl and foolish hope will always be with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, and Self harm

Moderate: Misogyny, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, and Medical content

the author’s website also contains content warnings, so go check that out too. MAJOR content warning for pregnancy, abortion, childbirth