Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

43 reviews

gogotheque's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I really enjoyed this book and it had few emotional tearful moments but the ending sort of lacked something. Technically there was a grand finale but it wasn't enough for me. I guess I expected more? It was very proper typical plot..nothing too exciting but still enjoyable.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Torture

ireadinbed's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.5

This book was a big surprise for me. Reads so much better than the cover, which screamed a kind of run of the mill YA to me. 

It is well thought out and the descriptions are visceral. Will definitely pick up the author again despite the fact the ending didn't quite hit for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Minor: Xenophobia, Torture, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

peachani's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Animal death

Minor: Racism, Chronic illness, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Classism, Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment

r_o_s_e'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse, Animal death, Gun violence, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Sexism, and Confinement

Minor: Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Medical content, Racism, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Classism, Blood, Death, Misogyny, and Adult/minor relationship

agnela's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Loved this! I'm so too old for most YA these days, but this was fine, maybe except the romantic undertones. It had creepy forest, witches, old diaries, spells, biracial and queer characters, social and feminist problems. 
This was the first book ever made me sick to my stomach. 
But the ending was meh, so meh that it lost a star for me. Kind of lazy all is well let's leave it to maybe having a sequel ending. I was rooting for revenge and blood and.... I did not get it. Idk if it was rushed or did the author felt bored by her story at this point but meh. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Classism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

frog_appreciator's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed reading this but several aspects of the plot weren’t fleshed out enough. Like the mother and the witches were very  present but the father was just this watery concept. If you’re going to make the “dark side” so solid you should do the same to the “light side”. Also the racial dynamics just seems to be plopped there and weren’t fleshed out enough. 
CW: gruesome birth scene 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse and Sexual assault

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

book_voyager's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

3.5

It’s been a while since I was this into reading (and finishing) a book. This one clearly called me home.

In general, the plot itself is not super original but the story is quite well written. The setting is interesting, and the world-building has been successful.

Although I do wish witches and witchcraft weren’t always the evil side. Even if the church in this book was depicted as faulty (and somewhat evil), witches still got the worst rep.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Moderate: War and Torture

oesterzwamsnack's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Torture, Death, Sexual violence, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child abuse, Grief, Rape, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

chronicallyplotting's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.0

Imanuelle’s story in “The Year of Witching” is about a girl who has to fight a fate determined for her. The land she is an outcast in is plagued by a curse set by her mother to protect her. 
This book is a mix between a religious cult, meets witch trials, meets what darkness truly is and how people can become all-Consumed into it. 

This book, although being outside my normal reading style, was very well written. I was lured into the magic and mystery of the Darkwood making this the perfect spooky season read. The ending did fall a little flat in an effort to wrap it up and leave room for a potential sequel. But overall this was a good recommendation I found in one of my Facebook book groups. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Gun violence, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, and Sexual assault