Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Everyone Knows Your Mother is a Witch by Rivka Galchen

4 reviews

mattiedancer's review

emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.25

Writing: 4⭐️/5 

The writing is stylized enough to give it a human touch. It does feel, at times, like you’re reading the unedited, unformated thoughts of the characters. And yet, something about it was incredibly hard to get used to. I’ve been thinking lots about it and I’m still not sure exactly what it is, other than perhaps the tone mismatches the time period – or at least my expectations of the time period. Writing with a more modern feel to it, I had a hard time with feeling as though it felt cohesive with the events. Overall though, strongly written, even if a bit hard to get in the flow of.

Characters: 4.75⭐️/5

I really enjoyed Frau Kepler’s, or Katharina’s, sections of the story. She had a strong voice, a strong personality, and it was always incredibly clear when I was reading her sections versus Simon’s. In fact, all the characters felt alive: in the way they lied, in the way they thought, and in the way they remembered. 

Plot: 4.25⭐️/5 

It’s the story of a woman, accused of witchcraft, who is found victim of a campaign to blame all their problems on her. The story’s plot, while always centered on Katharina’s trial and the accusations thrown at her, goes beyond it in the oddest ways, focusing on her cow, her family, and her thoughts on the neighbours in an intriguing way. My biggest critique here is that it took me a while to get into. But it was a surprisingly fun – and then serious and then semi-sad – story that I’m glad to have read. 

Who Should Read This Book? 

• Those looking for a fun historical fiction read
• Those who want historical fiction but love modern spins on stories
• Readers looking for stories about witchcraft and mob-mentality-driven witch hunts

Content Warnings? 

• Death, death of parent, death of child, manipulation, toxic relationships, injury/injury detail, child loss, pregnancy, grief, torture

Post-Reading Rating:  4.25⭐️/5

A wonderful, apt ending to a fun yet serious story.

Final Rating: 4.25⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Sexism, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicide, Alcohol, Violence, Classism, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and War

c_lizziebeth's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Minor: Infertility, Violence, War, Torture, Suicide, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Physical abuse

myfbusters's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Antisemitism, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Genocide, Infertility, Mental illness, War, Racism, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, Classism, and Medical content

imds's review

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, and Confinement

Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Torture