Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken

4 reviews

mack_readz's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Mental illness, Self harm, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

justagrlandherdog's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

This is by far my favorite Alexandra Bracken book. It definitely had its slow moments but overall I enjoyed my time with it. I am curious to read the next book but it’s not a desperate need. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death

Minor: Mental illness, Abandonment, and Alcoholism

lackyducks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This book feels like an enigma to me. The writing isn't bad. The world it's set in is creative and interesting. However, I just failed to connect to the characters and the story.

It is almost a third of the book before you reach the true main plotline. A lot of things feel simply like they're just unnecessary. Why introduce not being able to see magic as such a big part of Tamsin's character if it's simply going to be fixed in a couple of pages? This whole plot point could have used so much more weight, instead it's relegated to the occasional mention and only a few lines of dialogue in reaction by the other characters. The Hand of Glory felt like the author was really trying to make us know it's supposed to be important, but it doesn't feel that way when it kept getting forgotten by the author - not the character. The entire plot with Septimus also just felt superfluous.

As I got into the last third of the book, I started to connect with it more. But it was such a slog to get to that point I almost didn't make it. The story has everything going for me that I'm usually interested in - it just failed to connect.

If you're somebody who enjoys shows like Riverdale, then you'll likely enjoy this. It just wasn't for me.

Also the cliffhanger definitely wasn't for me. I like my books to actually be completed stories.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse

leedolee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book actually ripped my heart out. 

And I loved every second of it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Murder, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Gore, Medical content, Self harm, and War