Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

179 reviews

elizabethbest's review

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty

alanahcw's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

This book is perfect. 

My heart is full and hungry for more Doors. Thank you so much for opening this one, Alix Harrow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Self harm

Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, and Blood

svenja135's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, and Violence

Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Xenophobia

fernanda_o's review

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Too much suffering, not enough  fantasy. And not enough social criticism either. This book brought me very little enjoyment and 

The dog getting hurt was beyond unnecessary. He doesn’t die, but his suffering hardly advances the plot

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Racism

stargrlbooks's review

4.0

I am conflicted on this one. On one hand, I absolutely adore Alix Harrow's writing and find myself enamored by her ability to create beautiful and magical worlds within such mundane settings. I fell for the characters in this book and I think overall I enjoyed it. However, the pacing is a bit weird for me and I found that the weaving between point of views was harsh at first and I found myself skimming some of the first chapters. I also think I went in a little too excited after Starling House and was met with a story that wasn't as satisfying or compelling. I would read it again though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Racial slurs

merbears's review against another edition

adventurous inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Self harm, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Death of parent, Colonisation, Classism, Xenophobia, Blood, Confinement, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Cultural appropriation, and Death

Minor: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Murder

tnociti's review

adventurous mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Animal cruelty

If you'd like information on animal cruelty mention please read further:

minor mention - dog is ok - doesn't keep happening and is not "in the room"

cardlikecredit's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was really really beautiful. The concept was kind of mystifying at first but it really keeps you in suspense and wraps up pretty nicely at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Mental illness, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Animal cruelty, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Colonisation and Racism

norspider's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

You can visit other worlds if you're very, very brave.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January mostly follows January Scaller, a young girl growing up as the ward of a wealthy and eccentric collector. Her days are spent in hazy boredom, missing her father while he works. Until one day, January stumbles upon a door that opens to another world. From then her life is a series of searches, upheavals, chases, and escapes. 

The first time I read Ten Thousand Doors I stopped after the first chapter. It was good, just not the story I was looking for at the time. Almost a year later I picked it up again and devoured it. The writing is beautifully imaginative and vivid (too much, at times). Each world you visit feels real and lived-in. The characters described with such depth you can almost touch them. The story could have been told in fewer words, but it is such a rich experience the way it is. 

I would have followed January and Bad through another 10,000 Doors. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

Minor: Violence

perifairy's review

adventurous hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Abandonment, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Blood, Colonisation, and Abandonment