Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake

22 reviews

marleens's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

After enjoying my time with this book a lot, the ending was a letdown. I don’t mind not having everything tied up neatly but in this book so many questions are left unanswered, and plot points unexplained. It’s a shame because there was a lot of good stuff in here. I liked the writing style and the setting by and atmosphere, and really liked Michael and his relationships with Marie and Percy. With a few more answers at the end this could have been an excellent read overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Child abuse and Animal death

paigestilwill's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Blake’s writing is quick-paced and spooky, and she does well to build tension and mystery over the course of the book. What I was less impressed with, like many other reviewers, was the sheer amount of unanswered elements left hanging at the end.

Additionally, for it being a piece set in the 50s, Blake wrote about the teens in a very modern way, a couple of times mentioning soda pop shops or drive-ins, but not really framing the language in any concrete way to make you FEEL like you were in that time period. In fact, many times I had to remind myself that it was set in the 50s, because the writing style and diction didn’t reflect that. Once I thought, why not check security cameras, completely forgetting that was not an option in the 50s 🤦🏻‍♀️

I also found many parts of this story unbelievable—how a 17 year old was allowed to investigate the most prolific serial killer in the country,

Marie being covered in blood from throwing up on herself (what??? The physics don’t add up)

, the lack of depth and complexity afforded many of the characters, including the Nebraskan DA,

Steve’s friends threatening to shoot Michael for trying to get to the truth about his murder

… the clarifications we do get seem half-baked and not well thought through. 

In all, it was quick and the fast cadence of the plot made it a more gripping read, but it felt like much of the building action was pointless, and I expected and wished for more answers, even if it hadn’t been all of them. There’s nothing wrong with leaving readers wanting more, but this one had more loose ends than seemed necessary. I understand wanting the reader to make their own conclusions, just like the public had to when similar cases actually occurred in history. However, after 300 pages, the reader deserves some semblance of an explanation, rather than a half-hearted ending that raised its own questions more than answers. 

I’m not sure if I’d return to Blake’s work in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Blood, Physical abuse, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual assault

Minor: Gun violence

conceptuallysound's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

All The Bodies is a Horror movie (Jason) turned Mystery (Unsolved Mysteries) evolved into True Crime story.  Marie seems sane and in her right mind, but at the same time delusional and in shock. Micheal doesn’t want to believe what others say is her truth, yet he can’t seem to figure hers out.  Caught between reality and her delusions.  The book srarts slow building your interests then you can’t put it down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Gore and Violence

Minor: Child abuse

riflelizards's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Bullying, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

lsalyer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Grief, Murder, Death, Blood, Bullying, and Classism

Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Gore, and Vomit

maralrose's review

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.25

It was alright. The middle part kind of dragged, but it was overall an okay book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse and Rape

vixenreader's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

The ending is anti-climatic, but the story still has an interesting perspective in how individual view and rationalize their own truths, despite never really knowing the truth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Misogyny, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Torture

Moderate: Alcohol, Medical content, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, and Cursing

Minor: Car accident, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

There is also scenes of imprisonment and guilt, as well as disturbing mythology.

r0bin_05's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

a string of murders in the US in the late  fifties, characterised by the chilling lack of blood at the crime scenes. a murder in a small town, the sheriff's son, and a girl.


supernatural / murder mystery / historical fiction

one of those that you read in one night [although that might have something to do with my scaredy-cat-ness lmao]. i did to try to reach a satisfactory not scary conclusion which was not reached. [on both counts to be honest]


so a) not my favourite genre because of the supernatural-ness 
but b) well written on the most part, loved the world building 
c) found the centering of romance annoying to be honest and unnecessary- i am a straight romance hater
d) ending fell a bit flat. a non-ending. 
e) enjoyed the characters though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, and Sexism

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Confinement, Child abuse, Stalking, and Vomit

makenna_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Sexual assault

emmoeller's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Sexual assault and Child abuse