Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore

34 reviews

lizziaha's review against another edition

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

4.25

My main qualm with this book is that survival stories just aren’t really my thing. Luckily for me, there were other parts to this book. I particularly loved Hava’s relationships with Jacky, Linny, and Giddon. Something about the way that Hava is always expecting to be ignored or rejected and then someone (usually Giddon or Linny and sometimes Bitterblue) comes along and proves her wrong is so compelling. I love that even though there’s a broad cast of characters, each one feels distinct, and their personalities are complex, even if they don’t play a huge role in the book.  The blue foxes are such a wonderful addition to the story and the way the audiobook narrator voiced them just made them so adorable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Abandonment, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

Moderate: Kidnapping, Blood, Gore, Trafficking, Drug use, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Rape

Minor: Sexism, Misogyny, Torture, and Classism

dragongirl271's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Domestic abuse

geekmom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I continue to appreciate Cashore’s ability to thoughtfully explore trauma and let us see the various ways it can affect the characters in this world.

and since there doesn’t seem to be anything like therapy available to them, the next best thing is surely a telepathic fox, or two, or eight…!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Rape and Medical trauma

bri_morgan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Grief, Animal death, and Confinement

elskabee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

 I want to thank Kristin Cashore. Mildly TMI, I have chronically dry eyes due to allergies. I'm talking eyelids feeling like sandpaper, eyedrops only working for like one singular minute before they're dry again, desert level dry eyes. So this book was exactly the kind of relief I needed since I was tearing up on a near constant basis 

  Every. Single. 'my girl' had me misty 

 

This is a relatively plotless book, but that's a good thing because the time spent on character development was more than enough to hold my attention. Hava is proof that a good, well-written character is not necessarily a likeable character (though I loved her), as she struggles to interact with others in conventional ways and often expects the worst intentions even without evidence. But of course she isn't mean and rude for no reason, the events in her life preceding this book make hating her even in her brattiest moments impossible. People see the good in her that she struggles to see in herself, and her journey to connect genuinely with those around her is heartbreaking and heartwarming simultaneously.

Also WOW the entirety of part two was so tense and incredibly done! I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll just say that I love survival stories and Cashore always does them so well!

This series is an all time favourite, literally nothing will ever top it, and this is possibly my favourite book in the series so far! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

kristinrdub's review

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

A wonderful new addition to the Graceling Realm! Cashore’s characters are achingly human and their traumas and triumphs are written so beautifully. I love the ever-expanding world of Gracelings and I can’t wait for more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Medical trauma

bookabooroo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Yet another great Graceling sequel! Loved getting to know Hava and watching her get to know herself better. A refreshing change of scenery in this story!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault

guardianofthebookshelf's review

adventurous hopeful sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

3.5

I still think that Graceling and Fire are two of Cashore's best works, and I haven't felt that from these recent installments in the Graceling universe. Don't get me wrong, I love this world and I think it's fascinating. We get back to some of the politics towards the end of this book, which is when I think Cashore is at her strongest. Political intrigue, great characters. That's the magic for her.

Hava, the main character in this one, isn't the most likeable at the beginning, but her journey is one of reckoning with the abuse and neglect she faced as a child. Throughout, she's able to work through that, to allow herself to trust once again. It's a character arc that really works, and the addition of the foxes does wonders. The foxes were honestly my favorite part of this book!

However, I would love if Cashore focused on a different aspect of this world if she wants to keep writing Graceling books. Show me a different set of characters, with maybe a mention of those we already know. It would help build the world even more, and the world is one of the best parts of this series.

All in all, I enjoyed this, but not as much as the early Cashore books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Sexual assault

Minor: Homophobia, Child death, and Rape

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Murder, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Death, Medical content, Confinement, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Addiction, Pedophilia, Child death, Rape, Torture, War, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Excrement, Sexism, Homophobia, and Vomit

Needles, nonconsensual drugging. Near-drowning, distress at sea. Urination. Frostbite, amputation.