Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Gideon la Nona by Tamsyn Muir

67 reviews

thewickedbookworm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is immediately my favorite book of January, and I wouldn't be surprised if it makes my top 10 of the year. I was not expecting the emotional toll and I need to read the sequels immediately. Tamsyn Muir is now an auto-buy author for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Torture

Minor: Religious bigotry, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Cancer, and Medical content

Mass child murder/sacrifice is a major plot device. Two teenagers are murdered in violent ways. Suicide is a major plot device, including parental suicide.

This is a bloody book full of necromantic characters, supported by personal warriors, who have varyingly dubious morals frequently caused by childhood trauma. There is no sexual violence or animal harm, but most other triggers can be found in this story.

horriblehorrid's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

Easily in my top five favorites this whole series is amazing. Expect to have no clue what's going on ever, but to be able to go back after every new reveal and see how the new info plays into the stuff you didn't get the first time thru. very well done plot. A+ characters too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Body horror, Death, Bullying, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide

elizmoe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

4.75

regarding the ending: from the bottom of my heart, tamsyn muir — you can get bent (affectionate) (mostly. i’m mad but i get it but also i want them to be in love but also i guess that’s what fan fiction is for. you’re on thin ice tho))
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actual review:
half the time i had no idea what was going on, but i didn’t care because i was having an incredible time. i wish more books were this unapologetically ambitious with genre, plot, and world building. i’m absolutely feral to start harrow the ninth!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Vomit, Child death, Body horror, Grief, Suicide, Murder, Violence, Gore, and Cursing

Moderate: Abandonment and War

_teoeo's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad slow-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

~3,75 ⭐

It took me so freaking long to finish this!! Also, it was the wrong decision to read the book in English instead of my native language because ngl there was a lot that I didn't understand (even though 90% of the books I read are in English). The final fight was too long for my liking, but all in all it was a good book. I enjoyed it (at least the parts I understood :')) and already bought the second book. Also, I really liked gideon

and I'm really shocked that she died!!

(may or may not she's now one of my fictional crushes)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Bullying

Moderate: Child death and Abandonment

tigerproofrock's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

This book is not what I expected. By leaps and bounds it’s main strength is the narrator’s hilarious, irreverent tone. The plot itself couldn’t be less interesting to me. I kept expecting I was going to stop reading it, but finished it solely to keep hearing the protagonist talk shit about everyone (including, and especially, herself). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Blood, Toxic friendship, Violence, Bullying, Death, Gore, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Abandonment

ljausten05's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Moderate: Colonisation, War, Abandonment, and Confinement

helfire124's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Terminal illness, Gore, Body horror, Death, Blood, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Cannibalism, War, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Child death, Child abuse, Abandonment, Confinement, Medical content, and Suicidal thoughts

katsintrees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness

Minor: Abandonment

eeriekeri's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The mysterious air of the book is fun. The relationship between Gideon and Harrow feels a little fast and forced, moving from "hate" to "love" with a speed that sometimes feels genuine and sometimes feels toxic. My main complaint is that nobody gets their kisses in in the entire book. Boo. Also, very grumpy that we don't get to enjoy the Gideon/Harrow stevonnie perspective for very long.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Violence, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Suicide, Child death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Genocide

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I did not know that this is a kind of sci-fi book? Honestly if I knew that I probably would not have read it and I am so so glad that I did.

It took me some time to understand what was going on but once I got into it I started to really enjoy it. This book is absolutely hilarious at times and I was actually laughing.

The setting is something I did not quite understand and I still have a lot of questions about the whole world building and everything. I do think that most of the information is actually in the book but it was a bit difficult at times to understand everything. Also there are a lot of characters that I continuously got mixed up.

The ending was a unexpected though predictable. I thought this might happen but I also thought the author would dare.. I am really interested to read the rest of the series and I hope it will be easier to read since I already know the world kind of.

I also thought the book would be more explicitly lesbian since that was one of the main selling points for me. But who know maybe in the following books.

I did love the relationship between Gideon and Harrow though. It was a bit frustrating at times but also super fun. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Death of parent