Reviews tagging 'Grief'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

31 reviews

fatherprozac's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Sad and haunting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, and Toxic relationship

sar_a_i's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Murder

binreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.5

“The way you did before?” “Yes. The way I did before.”

Very interesting read, not entirely what I expected. Dark, mysterious and keeps you guessing. It was one of those reads where you immediately want to google explanations on everything - which I highly recommend by the way. Lots of different theories on why Merricat and Constance are the way they are, and what might of happened to them to end up this way.

Major spoiler ahead:

I had a feeling early on Mary Katherine killed her family, especially when she would wish death on the villagers and Charles. When she finally says she did it….chills!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Bullying, Death of parent, Dementia, and Fire/Fire injury

necroplasm's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

the sort of detatched, surreal style this book is in lends itself greatly to the story, i do think it dragged a little at points and i guessed what i'm assuming was supposed to be a pretty big twist very early on in the book but honestly i didn't dislike it, very much worth a read for enjoyers of slow-paced spooky shit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder

toffishay's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death, and Gaslighting

Minor: Murder and Classism

morgan0908's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Murder

brianna_moye's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Murder

davidrb's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

DAMN. Shirley Jackson is a master of dread: the entire book is a slow build to one disaster interrupted by another, and the entire time, your hair is on end. You don't know exactly what is going to happen, but also, don't you? Perfect despairing horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

When it comes to the incest warning

it's debatable, but it was enough to make me uncomfortable. However, I wouldn't say it's viewed in a positive light beyond Merricat herself being the narrator and thinking all of her actions and thoughts are justified.

audrey_12's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Chronic illness

ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Violence, and Mental illness