Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

35 reviews

lucyselim's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, and Trafficking

Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

frumpkin_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcohol, Pregnancy, and Suicide

booksjessreads's review

dark emotional medium-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? No

4.0

So this is the first mythology/ancient history retelling that I have ever read and honestly I loved it! It was Waterstones Book of the Month last month and I can see why. This is such a powerful, feminine text about Amara and her fellow prostitutes, navigating misogyny, poverty and xenophobia in Pompeii.

The first of a three-part series (the others yet to be published!), this book had me so hooked as Amara manipulates her master to make life a little more tolerable. And Dido was one of my favourite characters, she just seemed so sweet and I was also fully invested in her character, pleased that Amara was trying to alleviate her circumstances too.

A well written and fast-paced novel by Elodie Harper, such a joy to read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

macca's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Body shaming, Blood, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

blueheure's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I really struggled to finish this book. I was really excited to read a story set in Pompeii, I thought that was a pretty unique setting especially as the story doesn’t revolve around (or mention at all) the eruption of Vesuvius. I really liked the authors choice to include quotes from graffiti found in Pompeii but I also kind of felt like that was the only piece of Pompeiian culture included in the book.. period. If the city’s name wasn’t mentioned throughout the book it could have taken place anywhere; and in a nearly 500 page book I feel like there could have been a little bit of detail about the city. Not only is this book long, but it’s slow (so slow). When I was about 70% of the way through I was still kind of wondering what the plot was because the whole book just reads like a day in the life of a prostitute in Pompeii, it isn’t until probably the last 10% of the book that anything starts happening.

I loved the relationship between the women, I think it was probably the most tangible thing in the book, but I really struggled to care about the women individually. There aren’t a lot of characters, but there are enough (that we spend almost every page with) that there wasn’t enough space for all of them. There are main characters that feel like background characters because you learn one thing about them and then they’re just kind of there to interact with the protagonist, and then there are more brought in that you learn even less about and they felt completely pointless. I thought the backgrounds of the characters were really interesting and I really would have liked to see more done with that information.

[Minor spoilers warning - no details]

My biggest problem though was with the ending. It’s rushed. Like running through the airport with one shoe barely hanging on your foot and the other in your hand because security took too long and you’re about to miss your flight rushed. It starts and ends in about 11 pages. Something big happens and there’s no wind down, no resolution, the characters don’t even process it. It happens, it’s over, it’s mentioned and then the book is over. I really wanted to like this book but I’m left feeling bored and unsatisfied much like the women in the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Death, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide, Slavery, Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, and Pedophilia