Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire

12 reviews

matcha_cat's review

adventurous mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Bullying

Minor: Body horror, Murder, Eating disorder, Blood, Child death, Death, and Death of parent

alibrarymouse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

4.5

So far, none of the Wayward Children books have been set up to disappoint. They’re beautifully written worlds within worlds within worlds imparting meaning and messages without being pretentious or telling people they need to be anything aside from what they are. 

I loved Rini’s quest to save her mother, and the way McGuire builds her world in every book. I think what I love most, though, is that McGuire’s world doesn’t need the same rules and doesn’t have the same expectations. It’s one full of hope; kindness; and the ability to be lost, found, and understood. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Fatphobia

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Ableism, Murder, Blood, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Gore, Suicide, and Cancer

maeverose's review against another edition

3.75

I’m really reading slumpy at the moment so it’s hard to rally my thoughts and feelings about this book. I didn’t really care for Confection as a world or Rini (or Sumi) as characters, so being as that was kinda the main focus it automatically meant I wasn’t gonna enjoy this one as much, but weirdly enough I think I liked it more than the second book (which was the world I was most interested in). This had much more of a plot than the second book, and more world building (even if that world building felt a little info dumpy and forced at times, I don’t tend to mind that too much and it was cool to learn more about how the doors and worlds work). I like Kade, Cora and Christopher and am excited to get to see their worlds at some point (hopefully).

I am a bit unsure about some of the various rep in this book though (fat, disability, and hijabi in particular). A lot of it felt performative. I’m not fat or Muslim so I can’t really speak on those, and I’m not disabled in the way this character is, but the fact that she’s somewhat magically ‘fixed’ in her world bothers me a bit). The trans rep with Kade is the only thing I can really say feels pretty well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Bullying, Ableism, Cancer, Eating disorder, Gore, and Child abuse

Minor: Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, and Racism

carissa230's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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? No

3.25

A girl landing in the pond at Eleanor West's school is surprising. You'd think they would be used to people popping up, but they don't normally land at the school. It turns out Rini's mom Sumi was murdered before she was conceived and now Rini has to find a way to bring her back to life to make sure she is able to be born. 

We get to meet a few new people and a few new lands. The most prominent land is Confection, a land that has been baked together. The Baker created the world originally and more bakers have come and added to it. 

The land is interesting, but I don't think it's my kind of world. The idea of everything being made of sugar and the laws of reality being different wasn't something I would like. I feel like it would all be sticky and mushy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Grief

oliverreeds's review

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.25

everything was great. i love this series. but coras entire identity was focused around her weight. i would have like a little less of that i think. j wanted to know more abt her that wasnt obsessing over the way ppl viewed her. great vibes tho and love that she was immensely complex

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Murder, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, and Transphobia

ehmannky's review

adventurous dark 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

4.75

I love getting deeper into this world. I love reading a bunch of kids who are accustomed to living in weird worlds deal with weird worlds that they don't like. It's just fun and darkly whimsical and I'm a fan.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Death

Minor: Murder

laurajones's review

adventurous hopeful reflective fast-paced

• 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: Body shaming, Death of parent, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Eating disorder, and Self harm

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Body horror, and War

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cannibalism, Violence, Murder, and Death

anniereads221's review

adventurous lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Murder, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Cancer, Bullying, Body shaming, Ableism, and Fatphobia

atlas_shruggs's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-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

4.5

This book made me so hungry, jesus christ. The descriptions of Confection, the way literally everything except alive things was made out of food? It sounds delicious. 
This book definitely had some gorgeous descriptions that really brought the entire story to life: Nancy's Underworld, Confection, the Junkyard, all of it was so vividly described it felt like I was there, I could practically smell sugar and pomegranates in the air. 
The characters were amazing, I loved each and every one of them and cannot wait to see even more of them in future books. I suppose the only flaw I see in this book is the fact that Cora's personality seems to mainly consist of being fat. Like I get it, she's fat and has been struggling with body issues her entire life, but as a chubby girl myself, I don't spend every minute of every day thinking about how fat I am and how everyone must think I'm so fat, and yet Cora does. Maybe I just didn't relate to her struggles as much as I was never outwardly bullied for being fat, at least not verbally, but I just felt like it was a bit much, having her mention that she was fat every other page. 
Still, overall a great book, it made me wish even more that Nancy and Kade could be together, and I'm really excited to be reading Where the Drowned Girls Go next, and see more of Cora. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Death, War, Body shaming, Blood, Bullying, Violence, Murder, and Transphobia

Moderate: Medical content, Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, Cancer, and Cursing