Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

67 reviews

volanscore's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

1.0

I enjoyed some bits of it but wholly, it was like drinking water that couldn’t quench my thirst. There are only two narrators and one (the bridegroom) has such an underdeveloped story that I felt I’d rather read without his chapters. There was so much to be explored about the state of his memories, what happened to him, his escape, but really, there was no development because the story was all about Azure so then why waste time even giving us morsels of another character’s story. The plot-twist was much more disappointing than I’d hoped for the ending. There were so much language that made Indigo seem satanic (references to horns on her head,, it’s obvious really) that I’d imagined that there would be even a small turn with dark fantasy where Indigo was actually some sort of fairy grim reaper or something like that. It really fell apart for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Animal death and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment

gmrickel's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

Told in alternating perspectives between the "Bridegroom" (set in the present) and "Azure" (the Bridegroom's wife's childhood best friend, set about 20 years in the past), this tale winds around various mysteries and secrets. This has the cruelty of a dark fairytale, mixed with desperation, obsession, and dangerous imagination. Suggested for fans of toxic friendships, atmospheric settings, and lush writing. I also think fans of dark academia who are willing to set aside the lack of "academia" would enjoy this book.

On a personal note, I saw the twist coming but still enjoyed the ride. I don't think the view on marriage (the Bridegroom's perspective) was nearly as well done as Azure's. Big content warning for the looming threat of sexual assault in Azure's perspective, child abuse and neglect, and bullying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual assault

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.5

sometimes being delulu is NOT the solulu

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Death of parent

sunnydale's review

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.5

i checked out this book just because it was available on libby, and after the first few chapters, i was debating whether i wanted to continue. the bridegroom's perspective didn't hold much appeal for me. once azure's perspective was introduced, i was much more engaged—although i had to take some breaks when i realized what jupiter was. ultimately, azure's story was so compelling that i had to follow it through to the end. 

i enjoyed the fairy tale references, the haunted house, the theme of self-deception through personal narrative, and the girls' desperation to believe in magic. i still found the bridegroom's chapters uninteresting except as a framing device for azure's narrative, and i didn't enjoy the feeling of dread built around jupiter's predatory behavior. i ultimately found this to be a really satisfying story, but i'd be hesitant to recommend to readers i don't know well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Incest, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, and Medical content

Minor: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Blood, and Alcohol

Pedophilia/incest/sexual harassment details:

Azure's stepfather is sexually predatory throughout the book. He touches her in ways she does not like and tries to avoid, although his attempts at obviously sexual contact are thwarted. Azure is not supported by her mother or Indigo, who blame her and dismiss her fears, respectively. The increasing sense of dread culminates in a scene where Azure, having been drugged and stripped by Indigo, awakes to hear Indigo claiming to have walked in on Azure and Jupiter having sex. This did not happen, although later Indigo admits that Jupiter saw Azure naked and masturbated over her.

There is one chapter where Indigo bullies another girl over a period of time; many examples are given. Multiple sex scenes, mostly between the Bridegroom and Indigo within the first few chapters. One more occurs later in Azure's chapter about Lyric. Several dead starlings are described in detail.

mariavdl's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Death of parent

erinreadsbooks's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

Gorgeous imagery and evocative, atmospheric writing. The beginning was not my favorite and the rapid development of the relationship between the protagonists made me a bit wary but the last 3/4 of the book (basically when we started seeing the past) was gripping and very enjoyable as the creeping sense of horror began to seep in. Recommended for those who like dark fairytale vibes and writing that makes you question what is reality and what is imagined. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Gaslighting

cheye13's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.0

The best thing I can say about this book is that the writing is beautiful. Stepping back, I can see what it was going for, but ultimately, I think it should've been a novella, or even a short story.

A big part of my disappointment is the fault of the synopsis. I had expected a bluebeard-like tale featuring the Bridegroom as a main character, but as is, he could've been removed from the story entirely. In actuality, this is the story of Indigo and Azure growing up together, and the all-encompassing nature of their friendship and the world they create together. It's an interesting story, but simply too long. Every element of the tale is overdrawn to the point that any initial tension dissolves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Sexual content, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Gun violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Dementia, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

a myriad of standard old-style fairytale content warnings, not graphically described, but consistently mentioned: rape, incest, murder, etc. A persistent predatory stepfather and an off-page sexual assault involving blackout drinking.

dragonwriter's review

challenging dark 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

5.0

The Bridegroom swears he had a brother that vanished one day, disappearing from the world as though he’d never inhabited it in the first place. This phenomenon sends him on a search through fairytales and folklore, trying to find the secret to crossing over to the Other World to find his brother, and spinning into the arms of the mysterious and mythical Indigo. She is a fairytale creature in itself, wrapped in magic and mystery, and she warns him not to go poking into her past, for the secrets there will destroy them. Enchanted by this fairy tale challenge, the Bridegroom agrees, but all too soon he learns that secrets whisper to you at night, begging you to unlock their mysteries. Is Indigo’s warning merely a quirk of her fairytale existence, or is there something much darker locked in his beloved’s past? And who is Azure, the mysterious ghost who’s left her own mark on his bride?

This book was so dark and SO brilliant! The mystery of Indigo really draws you in, enchanted by the way her life and world revolves around fairytales and the fae, and you really wonder if she IS a fairy herself, walking among mortals. You totally understand how the Bridegroom could love her so wholly, even with so much of her wrapped in secrets. Then, you start to get Azure’s side of the story, and you start to root for both the Bridegroom and Azure to escape this person who is so wrapped in the perverse nature of fairytales. I’m normally really good at figuring out where a story is going to go and how things will play out, but I had NO CLUE the entire book until I reached the end, where all I could say is, “Oh. Oh! Oooooooohhhhh.” This is definitely the kind of book that will hold a different story the second time around.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

adventurous dark emotional slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

meganpbell's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.0

If slow and deadly is your poison, pick up this sumptuous, gothic fairy tale. Chokshi’s flowery prose hides teeth, claws, and a dark heart bloody with not only the fairy tales we tell each other and the secrets we keep from ourselves, but the wild reckless hope of being loved when the truth’s laid bare. This was darker than I expected and reminded me of Addie LaRue in its romance and pacing, which isn’t a great thing for me but others might love!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Death of parent