Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Witchmark by C.L. Polk

8 reviews

futureofmydays's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Colonisation, Suicide, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Cancer, Confinement, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism

ana_belen_herrera's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.25

I liked the magic system, since is the first book I would have liked to explore of how it works  and also why the war started. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Death

ninjamuse's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death, and Murder

Moderate: War, Emotional abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Grief

criticalgayze's review

I always feel bad about not finishing an undersung and much beloved title, and I feel worse here because it came recommended to me as part of a 12 Friends, 12 Books reading challenge. However, I would feel worse about leaving a lackluster rating that affected the overall average in even a marginal way.

I *need* SFF authors, even the ones given less editing and marketing help, to work on this issue of dumping us into story with little or no world-building. I get this flies in the face of conventional writing wisdom, but SFF is a unique genre that needs that work done desperately if you want your reader to understand stakes, which I really didn’t here. Too much was happening, and I wasn’t sure why or why I should care.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

apocellipse's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

3.5

i did thoroughly enjoy this book, just felt a little fanfiction-y at times which is not what i was expecting from the outset. also felt like we were juggling a few too many distinct conflicts at times, couldn’t focus on a “main” one really. but i found it really fun to read, so i’m not docking too many stars :-) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Torture

Moderate: Suicide, Self harm, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Homophobia

alphacenterin's review

adventurous dark hopeful 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Medical trauma and Death of parent

llyrian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

So good it deserves a place in my physical-bookshelf-collection! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder

ehmannky's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.5

I didn't know what to expect with this book, other than a friend with impeccable taste recommended it. And she did not disappoint. What a beautiful read, and I'm reeling from the tenderness of care Polk allows her characters to express. It's a book about the bonds that bind us, and what willing (Friends, community) vs unwilling bonds (family that doesn't understand boundaries or bodily autonomy) look like on a literal level. The world that magic has built is one built on unfairness and oppression, and when the question of " is this oppression good because of the needs of the many" is offered, the answer unequivocally and loudly "no." 

The emphasis on care and empathy for others, for not turning away, all of that is enough to make me recommend this book. And the relationships between Miles and Tristan was so tender and loving and Miles and Grace brought tears to my eyes because it was a bond of love so strained by power and damaged. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Child death and Drug use