Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

134 reviews

bluelillybooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

In shock, no words, many feelings

I've recovered and here's a review:

My reading experience was definitely a rollercoaster: I went from being super excited to bored to interested to mildly annoyed to captivated and emotional. Save to say the last 20% of the book made my rating go from 3 to a very decent 4 stars. It's easy to fall into the fiction as you follow the characters and the atmosphere - which plays a character of its own throughout the book- is strong from the start. The author lost me for a while in the middle when there just weren't enough things going wrong; too much exposition at a point where you would expect action. So I was all the more happily surprised when the story picked up speed, I suddenly got attached to the characters and promising subplots finally thickened.

Whitten's writing style is right up my ally and I immediately clicked with the fluent storytelling, pretty metaphors and clever allusions. The way the Wilderwood is both setting and character pleases the literature student within me and it is just beautifully and cleverly done. But I wish there were more synonyms for words like "root" and "vine" because girl we got it after the 1726th time.

There was.. a lot of blood though. Like /a lot/. The plot revolves around blood. So big big trigger warning there. I guess that's why this book really walks the line between YA fiction and fantasy.

That makes it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating for me! I did really enjoy For the Wolf and I'll be reading its sequel For the Throne without a doubt. Thanks for getting me out of a reading slump Whitten!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Self harm, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

celiaaa7's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

Moderate: Alcohol

asteriareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The story is slow for the first half of the book but I thoroughly enjoyed the second half as the pace began to pick up speed

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Blood

rainkatzanddogs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm

blewballoon's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I had a hard time getting into this, but once Red started to bond more with the Wolf and the others living in the forest it became a lot more interesting. I liked these characters a lot and I understood and sympathized with their motivations. I enjoyed the feeling of found family with their little crew and

the people who lived on the other side of the forest, cut off from the world but very self sufficient.

  I had a harder time with the interlude chapters. I really hated what was going on with Neve and the characters around her. Overall, though, I enjoyed the fantasy and fairy tale feeling of the story and was happy to have read it. I listened to it on audiobook and it was okay, the narrator was fine but I may have preferred reading it myself since I could have glossed over the parts that didn't interest me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Self harm, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder

sirkeili's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow, this book really just drew me in and didn't let me go until I finally finished it.  How do I even begin to describe this book?

I love how this tale is Little Red Riding Hood meets Beauty and the Beast, and yet it holds its own in both regards. Red's character feels both remarkably insular to the fairy tale heroine, and yet she also is so much more.

However, this story is also about love, and how far one will go for it. Red for Eammon - and him for her - as well as how far Red and Neve will go for one another. Making deals with gods and ancient beings alike, just to ensure the other is safe, whatever the price may be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Suicide attempt and Classism

issyfrp99'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? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Blood

faythfarrar's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm and Blood

murphymegs's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

This is everything I have wanted in a dark fantasy. Folklore, magic, heroism. Yes please! This is described as a Beauty and the Beast retelling and, yes, I can see it. But truly, it has a story of its own. The magic system is very unique and the bonds the characters have with each other and nature are very special. I’m glad I picked up the second book, because I’m prepared to devour it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, and Blood

kimalah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was just up my alley. Dread and ominous atmosphere mixed with devoted sisters inside of some type of fractured fable. It was very good, and I am very glad that I just got the next book from my library. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Blood