Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

54 reviews

doahdancer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.5

Lovely story. Grab this if you are interested in a historical fiction that isn't British history based and has a very light fantasy/magic system aspect.

The ending was very satisfying and is led by the fulfillment of just fates for each character.

My one disappointment was the romance. If you like to stay out of the weeds in book relationships, this is perfect, but I would have loved to see more detail on why they became meaningful to each other. The end sort of implies they were drawn together by fate, but the human aspect of their emotions for each other were underdeveloped for my taste.

Bardugo has a terrific narrative voice that felt timeless and aptly channeled the gothic/medieval/Spanish feel of the setting. Overall wonderful read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

caitlin_123a's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Grief

elskede's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

leila_reads_too_much's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Sexism, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

skillyillian's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

4.5

The only thing I didn't love was how insta-lovey it felt, but considering the situations that they were in when they met, well. It makes sense they'd cling to any form of escape. I did enjoy the ending, and the redemption of someone who starts the book off as a shitty miserable person was very good. I fucking loved this book and if you have the chance then you NEED to go for the audiobook, the narrator did such a wildly phenomenal job. Without a doubt the best audiobook I've ever heard

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

bluerskies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

defunctfridge's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.0

so slay except for the love interest who’s like an immortal old man didn’t like that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Infertility, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

styxx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Death of parent, and Abandonment

jenhfultz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

(Sigh) This was a challenge. I watched Shadow and Bone and loved it, and I’m definitely in my fantasy era. The premise and setting of this book were definite fits for me, but reading this book was like walking thru a swamp in lead boots. 
Her prose… I can’t articulate it… it just wasn’t easy to read, and not because it was too cerebral. 
I liked the way the book ended and maybe I’ll give Shadow and Bone a try, but I am really disappointed that I didn’t love this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Religious bigotry, and War

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism