Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

32 reviews

bluebreex's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.0

I did enjoy this book, but I do think it was way too over hyped for me. I enjoyed the main cast and the trials throughout, but there were some themes I could do without. Please check trigger warnings before picking up this book so you're not caught off guard. 

I wasn't sold on continuing this series until the last few chapters

and that's on plot twists!! Did not see any of that coming! Very intrigued to see what storm Kiva is going to kick up in the palace

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Drug abuse, Torture, and Medical content

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Medical content

sarah1109's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

The rebel princess was finally ready to rise. 

Jaw on the ground, brain is doing somersaults and I'm skipping around the house in triumph and awe. I picked this book up on a whim because of a review I saw on Bookstagram and the phenomenal rating on StoryGraph. NEVER in my life did I think I would have enjoyed it this much. 

This is a dark, thrilling, mysterious tale full of elemental magic, hidden identity and "rightful heir" battles. There are some predictable plot twists but still some that I did not see coming at all. 

The pacing was fast, the setting is very small so no large world building (yet?) and fantastic, loveable characters.  

I just...I need book two now. I'm so glad I picked this up with the trilogy finished because there's no way I would be able to wait.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

Moderate: Drug abuse and Blood

Minor: Rape and Sexual violence

n0elle's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jkreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

This book had a slow start for me, but once I had my bearings and immersed myself in the world I loved it! I was a big fan of The Hunger Games books when they came out and reading (or rather, listening to) this reminded me of the feeling I had while reading those. It’s hard to describe but I almost felt as though Kiva was keeping the reader at arms length throughout the story, which is fitting for her character as she tends to be closed off to others. This was really well written as it was intriguing rather than off-putting. 

Noni did a brilliant job of creating likeable, multi-dimensional supporting characters and I really enjoyed watching them develop their relationships with each other as well as with Kiva. There were some big reveals at the end which provided some momentum going into the second book, which I’d thankfully already lined up and have already started! I’m looking forward to seeing what direction the series heads in.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Torture, and Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Vomit, and War

hollybollybingbong's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Okay, so, I loved this book so much, I sped through it in one day. I loved the whole idea of it, and the inclusion of the secret codes was very cool. I loved the characters, Tipp is so amazing. Kiva, god, I don't know how she handled that for 10 years. And there were so many twists and turns that I did not see coming at all. 

The language at times felt quite repetitive, and the trials were a bit of a let down to be honest, but I very much enjoyed reading it

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Suicide attempt

taryn_g's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful tense 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

stories's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. Eminently readable, with a lush and wondrous (dark) world (being set inside a prison and all). A steady string of well integrated twists and turns, culminating with an absolute jaw dropper on the final pages. There to shed half the book, minimum, in new light. 

This is a book that will give again on the reread, for sure. 

A first in series that confidently stands alone while also leaves you scrambling for the sequel. 

Superb use of textual format and some stunning lines, not to mention a real array of characters, including explicit canonical wlw and amputee. 

Could barely put this book down, and even this scattershot review is after a solid 1( minutes of awestruck space staring upon finishing. 10/10 recommend. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Vomit, Police brutality, and Abortion

Deathly trials of air, fire, water and earth undertaken by protagonist narrator.

beccahoughton's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Torture, and Police brutality

sunsetcity's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

izzy_mckeough's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

Written by Lynette Noni, one of my favourite fantasy authors, I had very high expectations for this book. I have to say, I was slightly disappointed by the lack of compelling plot and very slow pace. However, the book did have good characters who were believable and 3-dimensional (my favourite being Naari). The last few pages also revealed some huge plot twists which confused me at the time, but thinking back on it there was some (very subtle) foreshadowing. Overall, in my opinion one of Noni's weakest books but I'll persevere through to the second novel and hope it can add some more interesting plot to a fairly well-developed setting with good characters.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Self harm, Sexism, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail