Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

49 reviews

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

se_wigget's review

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Exquisite fantasy novel!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Confinement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Violence

hwesta's review against another edition

adventurous dark

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this. Doors to other worlds is always a fun concept. 

I figured several things out before the narrator, but I most cases it was plausible that she didn't because the world doesn't normally work on story logic. 

I was pretty frustrated with January for making an obviously terrible decision

to send a letter to Locke

partway through but I suppose she is young and can make poorly thought through decisions 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Confinement, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, Sexism, and Racism

Minor: Pregnancy

asahome's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

A young woman learns the story of her life isn't what she thought it was. In the end, she goes through one of the ten thousand Doors to find her Home.

There is a book within a book. It felt a little like two short stories brought together in one novel with large sections devoted to one story over the other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Racism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Violence, Racism, Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, Grief, and Murder

amaranth_wytch's review

adventurous inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Blood, Confinement, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Grief, and Self harm

Minor: Gun violence

antoniac's review

hopeful mysterious slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Grief, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Abandonment

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.75

I can't get enough of Harrow's style of writing. Her metaphors and descriptions are like nothing I've encountered in writing before. Everything feels lyrical and alive. It's honestly difficult to move on after reading one of her books because it's like I have a book hangover, but in the worst way. I love the story and the characters, but what I can't move on from is Harrow herself. Her style almost ruins reading anything else after finishing a novel of hers.

Overall, I highly recommend this book just for Harrow's style alone, but it's also a fascinating plot with creative and well developed characters. Yes, it starts off rather slow, but that's extremely intentional. Yes, January feels frustratingly naive, but of course she is given her living situation. This book is all about adventure, imagination, and developing your own life's narrative. One of the top books I read all year and I recommend it to everyone!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Self harm

Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexism, Slavery, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Racial slurs

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Death

anastasiamakes's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

I've really enjoyed all of the Harrow I've read so far and can't believe I waited so long to get round to this one which I think is my favourite of the bunch.

It's whimsical but dark, tackles important topics without feeling preachy, and made me cry happy tears.

I have so many quotations highlighted in this book, it's just so beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abandonment, Self harm, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood, Racism, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Gun violence, and Slavery

m_siege's review against another edition

adventurous 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

5.0

Absolutely spectacular! I could not put it down. The world building is so detailed without being overdone and I felt like I was in each scene as I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

skbat's review

adventurous dark inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Animal cruelty, Grief, Gun violence, and Abandonment

Moderate: Torture, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Violence, Self harm, Animal death, Colonisation, and Racism

Minor: Sexual assault, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Alcohol