Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

58 reviews

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

I didn't expect this series to get that much better but it did! I loved the story in this one! All the friendships and working together because you choose to and not just because you need to hit me just right. The ending was amazing as well and I immidiately continued reading the 3rd book. I'm very excited for the conclusion of this Trilogy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence, Classism, Death, Confinement, Child death, and Gore

Minor: Death of parent

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Just when I was complaining that a certain main character hadn't done anything all book or exhibited any sort of personality, we got some nice time for them to open up and bloom a bit before the brutal cliffhanger of an ending. 

It's lovely watching our protagonist grow as a person, opening up, learning to ask for help, and forming close friendships with other girls. (The unexpected LGBT+ representation was a nice bonus!) There was at least one plot point in here that didn't really make any sense to me, but the emotional through line and building themes stop me from giving it less than five stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Classism, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, War, and Pregnancy

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexual content, Classism, Confinement, Abandonment, Death, Vomit, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Outing, Bullying, Animal death, Murder, Grief, Dysphoria, War, Suicide, and Pregnancy

katerina_l's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death, Body horror, Gore, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail

sophia_t_m's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Child death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

kat1105's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Blood, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Vomit, Ableism, Body horror, Death of parent, Gore, and Injury/Injury detail

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed it in the main but I felt some sections were a bit too protracted, whereas other areas were rushed through. Also I felt some of the characters lacked some depth. Though it ended with a lot of loose ends, and I enjoyed it enough to reach out and read the final book in thr trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Vomit, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Cursing

blackheart's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Great sequal. Major tension and an illegal cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore and Violence

Minor: Blood and Vomit

lennie_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for this arc.

Full disclosure I did listen to the audiobook via the library though. 

So I liked book one of the Scholomance series but I Loved book two. 

In this one we see El is just as grumpy and hilarious as ever but that having friends has clearly rubbed off on her because now she's actively trying to save people and look out for them. 

I think part of why I liked this book more than the first one was because the first one just explains in great detail how awful, oppressive, deadly, gruesome etc the Scholomance is and I felt constantly one edge, whereas this one had a very different vibe. I won't go into details because of spoilers but it's a much more optimistic book than the first! 

I loved seeing El grow as a character and watch how her friendships blossomed. She was still the same spiky, sarcastic cow who I fell in love with in book one but in being allowed that breathing space, she's really expanded into herself and her powers. 

Very much here for ElOrion romance, although they're maybe not the healthiest of examples... 😅

And that ending!? 

I'm even more annoyed because the library copy of book three currently has a 6 week wait 😭 But I will be reading The Golden Enclaves as soon as I can get my hands on it! 

Also, the audio narrator was absolutely fantastic and embodied El *perfectly*. I need to find more books narrated by Anisha Dadia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Blood, Cursing, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Death

athryn's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted 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

5.0

Picks up right where the previous one left off, but managed to surprise me with subverting my expectations of where I thought it was going. Still darkly humorous, and hard to put down.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Child death, Gore, and Vomit

Minor: Blood